[1][2] According to the Independent, the song "is about human taxidermy, the idea of preserving the beauty of a lover the way you would an animal".

[4] "Courtship Dating" was digitally released as the album's third single on 21 April through Different, PIAS, and Last Gang.

According to Brandon Stosuy of Stereogum, it shows darkened footage of Alice Glass singing and "being angsty" with flashes of Ethan Kath "rocking it".

[8] NME described "Courtship Dating" it as "synth-pop filled up with muted screams, jerking bass and sparking circuit boards" and "the best piece of humanity-loathing cyborg pop since the Knife's Silent Shout".

[9] "Courtship Dating" was named one of the best songs of 2008 by laut.de,[10] NME,[11] Pitchfork,[12] and Slant Magazine,[13] with the latter considering it one of the best tracks from the 2000–2009 period.