"Genghis Khan" is a song performed by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow from their third studio album, iii (2016).

Written and produced by the band alongside Henrik Jonback, the song was conceived when lead singer Andrew Wyatt felt like a tyrant while in a long-distance relationship, comparing his cruelty to that of Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan.

Musically, "Genghis Khan" is an electropop song with funk and R&B influences and lyrics which see the protagonist likening his jealousy to the behavior of the Mongolian emperor.

It attracted generally positive reviews from music critics, many of whom regarded it a focal point on iii and commended its catchiness, although some critiqued its subject matter.

The accompanying music video for "Genghis Khan", directed by Ninian Doff, depicts a love story between a villain and a James Bond-esque spy.

"Genghis Khan" was written by Miike Snow's three members, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt, in collaboration with Henrik Jonback, for the band's third studio album, iii (2016).

[1] While in the studio in Los Angeles, California, Karlsson had conceptualized the general melody and beats for a track when vocalist Wyatt began singing about Genghis Khan, a 13th-century Mongolian emperor.

[3] After recording the verses and chorus, Wyatt added a "whoo-oo-oo" hook, inspired by a child he overheard singing along to Akon's vocals on Gwen Stefani's song "The Sweet Escape" (2006).

[1] While working on their previous studio album Happy to You (2012), the band focused on a uniform sound as Wyatt wanted to present a consistent character during concerts.

[1] Flyckt utilized a Urei 1176LN limiting amplifier to emphasize the ghost notes, and a Thermionic Culture Vulture to enhance the sound without causing digital domain issues.

[8] "Genghis Khan" premiered on Miike Snow's official YouTube channel on 3 December 2015, with a promotional video containing nine panels of vertically rotating graphics.

[citation needed] Spin critic Rachel Brodsky likened the structure of the bridge to the song "One Minute Man" (2001) by American rapper Missy Elliott.

[21] musicOMH critic Ben Hogwood wrote that while the lyrics could be perceived as "too possessive", Wyatt's "sweetly-sung tones" make them appear "strangely affectionate".

While reviewing its parent album, Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound named it an essential track and wrote, "Little more than a foot-stomper about adolescent trust issues, 'Genghis Khan' flips the legacy of the violent ruler to comedic effects.

[15] Sean Maunier of Metro Weekly regarded it as "catchy and infectious", writing "It's about as much fun as you can have with a song about trust issues, and luckily, it never becomes too self-serious.

[29] Similarly, Lee Butler of Vue Weekly praised the "powerful hooks and extensive production" of "Genghis Khan", and the writer named it their favorite track on iii.

[30] Eric Renner Brown of Entertainment Weekly felt the band's "expertise doesn't always extend to their lyrics", defining the comparison of jealousy and a Mongolian warlord as "ill-fated".

[31] Capobiano concluded, "The sketchy self-loathing and creepy possessiveness of 'Genghis Khan' is transformed into ingratiating dance music for women filing restraining orders.

"[31] DIY critic David Beech opined its pop composition showed confidence, but considered it to be "less organic, more contrived" than the band's earlier work.

[32] Brodsky of Spin argued that "better ideas on paper manage to fall flat", asserting that "The otherwise promising 'Genghis Khan' sounds like a Gorillaz mock-child's hand-game chant before straight-up jacking Missy Elliott's 'One Minute Man' on the bridge.

"[51] He began thinking of "evil people falling in love" and conceived a story about an archetypal movie villain struggling with human emotions.

[27][58] The Daily Dot's Gavia Baker-Whitelaw viewed it as "an excellent parody ... mimicking set design and color schemes from vintage Bond movies", and noted fan art dedicated to the video had appeared on social networking site Tumblr.

[61] Miike Snow performed "Genghis Khan" with added horn instrumentation alongside previous single "Heart Is Full" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

[63] Wyatt and Winnberg performed an alternative version of the single together with "Animal" and "I Feel the Weight" at the studio of musician Jim Eno in Austin, Texas, on 16 March 2016.

[66][67] On 29 April 2016, American duo MS MR covered "Genghis Khan" for Australian radio station Triple J's segment Like a Version.