Using You

* Re-Release
* iTunes
* SoundCloud

"**Using You**" is a song by Mars Argo, featured as the fourth track of their 2011 EP, *Linden Place*, and the second of its 2015 edition. A remix of the song, produced by Johnny K, was released as a single on December 21st, 2014.

On November 13th, 2023, the Johnny K remix of "Using You" was officially re-released, notably removing Titanic Sinclair's vocals and credits, as well as the song's original cover artwork, which was replaced by a pitch black square.

## Background

Prior to the release of *Linden Place*, the song was previewed in the *Computer Show* episode "Do You Ever Feel Empty?", released in January 2011, in the form of an instrumental snippet playing throughout the video.

An acoustic performance was uploaded to YouTube on May 26, 2011, the audio of which was later included as a track on the 2012 re-release of the *Internet Sessions* EP.

The song was re-recorded in 2012 with rearranged verses and new production by Johnny K, being intended for the band's second studio album. This new version was originally theorized to be scheduled for a March 2013 single release date with an unknown Johnny K song meant to be its B-side, as teased in an interview with Noisey, however this was delayed for unknown reasons. The Johnny K version of the song saw an eventual release as the band's final single together on December 21st, 2014.

Nearly a decade later, in October 2023, Johnny K shared an Instagram post tagged with "studiovibes", to which Argo commented, "Why U here bro 😎". Karkazis explained he was auditioning for a Batman movie, adding he and Argo "should do a song while [he's] in town". Two weeks later, on November 4th, a new mix of his version of "Using You", now lacking Sinclair's backing vocals, was leaked on cloud storage website Dbree. On November 13th, the song was officially re-released with no prior announcement. Days later, Argo shared a statement in an Instagram story, additionally thanking listeners for 100,000 streams:

After years of wanting to bury this song, and it having the opposite trajectory, I feel proud that I'm finally at a place where I am able to take this step."[To be honest], I'm not listening. And I can't listen. But I know that you are, and that you've wanted to. And I'm so grateful for that.

Three weeks after re-release, in December of the same year, the song reached one million streams, which the artist celebrated on Instagram.

## Lyrics

* Linden Place version
* Johnny K remix

What's with these homies who be dissin' my boy?

Do they know I'm aggravated with the negativity and the noise?

They tell me "Find a wealthy man", but they don't seem too happy

Am I naïve to think that he could be the love of my life?

There is a voice inside my head that's tellin' me that it's right

I never thought I'd tell him how scared I am of losing him

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

I was afraid to put myself on the line for a boy

Until he put me in my place and showed me how to enjoy myself

I think I need your help; I think she's coming back

I love you and I hate you and I'm losing my mind

And you tell me all the time that this will pass and that I'm gonna be fine

We're such a mess together, you make me lose my temper

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

Someday we'll both be older

I wonder if we'll be together looking back on the past

But I don't care if I don't live to see another day

I love you in the worst way

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

Of using you for pleasure

Of using you for pleasure

What's with these homies who be dissin' my boy?

Do they know I'm aggravated with the negativity and the noise?

They tell me "Find a wealthy man", but they don't seem too happy

I was afraid to put myself on the line for a boy

Until he put me in my place and showed me how to enjoy myself

I think I need your help; I think she's coming back

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

Am I naïve to think that he could be the love of my life?

There is a voice inside my head that's tellin' me that it's right

I never thought I'd tell him how scared I am of losing him

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

Someday we'll both be older

I wonder if we'll be together looking back on the past

But I don't care if I don't live to see another day

I love you in the worst way

I love you and I hate you and I'm losing my mind

And you tell me all the time that this will pass and that I'm gonna be fine

We're such a mess together, you make me lose my temper

You're the only one who's making me come

To my sinful senses

I'll never love anyone the same

I'll never feel ashamed of using you for pleasure

Of using you for pleasure

Of using you for pleasure

### Official versions

* *Linden Place* version – 3:47
	+ Instrumental – Unknown
		- "Do You Ever Feel Empty?" snippet – 0:11
* *Internet Sessions* acoustic – 3:56
* Johnny K remix – 3:28
	+ 2023 mix – 3:28

## **"Using You"**Music video by Mars Argo

* Vimeo
* YouTube

### **Released**

January 14, 2014 (Vimeo)
January 13, 2015 (YouTube)

### **Length**

3:43

The official music video for the song was filmed on October 28th, 2013, and uploaded to Digital Twigs's Vimeo account on January 14th, 2014, being finally reposted to the Grocerybag YouTube channel on January 13th, 2015. Argo stated via her Facebook account that releasing the video was "a bit emotional" for her but she was "happy that people seem pretty happy about it". The video currently has over 24 million views on YouTube and was directed by Ryan Wehner, with production handled by Jennifer Lollie.

The video takes place on October 28th, 2023, exactly 10 years into the future of the video's actual recording date and seems to depict testing on the technology known as the Syntrolux Express, meant to provoke and record the emotional responses by average people listening to live music played by singers and bands. This is achieved with a unique sound system directed into a room the test subject is locked alone inside. Argo's test subject, portrayed by Shonnie Solomon, becomes increasingly violent during testing to the song "Using You" and, in an attempt to calm him, the lab technician, portrayed by Mina Joo, has a similar uncontrollable shift in behavior listening to the music after accidentally falling over and losing her protective headphones.

## Gallery

Statement celebrating 2023 re-release.Instagram story celebrating 100,000 streams.Instagram story celebrating 1,000,000 streams.
## Trivia

* The song interpolates the opening line to Weezer's hit track "Buddy Holly".
* The final master of the Johnny K remix was completed on February 1st, 2013.
* The blue dress Argo wears in the music video was later given to her friend, Sideara St. Claire, who has since been photographed wearing the dress on multiple occasions, mainly on Instagram.
* Three versions of the song were registered to Audiam in September 2019.
* The song went viral on the Chinese app TikTok in 2019, with users using the song in their videos.
	+ When Argo was asked how she felt about its virality on the app, she stated on her Tumblr account that it felt "fucking weird".
* The song is, with "Love in Black and White", "Nothing Without You", "Pls Don't Forget Me" and "Stuck on You", the only song after the *Technology Is a Dead Bird* era to feature notable vocals from Sinclair, prior to its 2023 re-release.
* "Runaway Runaway", "Stuck on You" and "Using You" are the only songs still on iTunes from the original band.
* The 2023 re-release of "Using You" has been included in five official Spotify playlists, with Argo becoming the face of 'Reblog'.

## References

1. ↑ Mars Argo (December 21, 2014). "Using You - Single". *iTunes*. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
2. ↑ FRIENDSHIP. (November 13, 2023). "🌐 #NewRelease ✅Mars Argo 🎧... (cont.)". *Twitter*. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
3. ↑ Mars Argo News (November 13, 2023). "Titanic's vocals in this song have also been... (cont.)". *Twitter*. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mars Argo (November 13, 2023). "Using You - Single". *Apple Music*. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
5. ↑ grocerybagdottv (January 28, 2011). "Do You Ever Feel Empty?". *YouTube*. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
6. ↑ grocerybagdottv (May 26, 2011). "Mars Argo - Using You (Acoustic)". *YouTube*. Archived from the original on January 24, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
7. ↑ Mars Argo (February 9, 2012). "Internet Sessions". *Bandcamp*. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
8. ↑ Shriya Samavai (February 14, 2013). "Mars Argo are Done Being Cool - Watch Their New Video for Runaway, Runaway". *Vice*. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
9. ↑ johnnykarkazis (October 19, 2023). "#cassette #studiovibes". *Instagram*. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
10. ↑ "Mars Argo Using You (Without Titanic Sinclair Vocals) mp3". *Dbree*. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 marsargo (November 16, 2023). "TBH, I'M NOT LISTENING AND I CAN'T LISTEN BUT... (cont.)". *Instagram*. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
12. ↑ marsargo (November 16, 2023). "THANK YOU!". *Instagram*. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
13. ↑ The Internet is Boring. (December 4, 2023). "Thanks for 1,000,000". *Tumblr*. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
14. ↑ marsargo (December 5, 2023). "1,000,000 IN 3 WEEKS!!!... (cont.)". *Instagram*. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
15. ↑ Seeya Later (October 24, 2013). ""@marsargo: Shooting a music video for our song "Using You" this weekend ohmygosh so excited #usingyou" sweet". *Twitter*. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
16. ↑ Digital Twigs (October 28, 2013). "Currently in studio with @marsargo! Shooting a music video for their new song #UsingYou". *Instagram*. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
17. ↑ Digital Twigs (January 14, 2014). "Mars Argo “Using You”". *Vimeo*. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
18. ↑ grocerybagdottv (January 13, 2015). "Mars Argo - Using You (Official)". *YouTube*. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
19. ↑ Mars Argo (January 17, 2015). "Thanks for all of the love on the "Using You" music video, releasing it was a bit emotional for me so I am happy that people seem pretty happy about it". *Facebook*. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
20. ↑ Ryan Wehner (January 13, 2015). "Screenshot from the video I directed for @marsargo @andrewtomayko DPd. @themikepasley Prod designed". *Twitter*. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
21. ↑ "01 Using You.wav". Retrieved April 30, 2022.
22. ↑ Vemuta (July 18, 2019). "Your the only one, who’s making me (Using you for pleasure) Tik Tok Trend Compilation". *YouTube*. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
23. ↑ The Internet is Boring. (September 16, 2019). "how does it feel having Using You become popular from the app Tiktok?". *Tumblr*. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
24. ↑ "big on the internet". *Spotify*. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
25. ↑ "Limelight". *Spotify*. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
26. ↑ "All New Indie". *Spotify*. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "reblog". *Spotify*. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
28. ↑ "Front Page Indie". *Spotify*. Retrieved December 4, 2023.

## Navigation

* Linden Place
* Internet Sessions
* Mars Argo CD
* Debut solo album

 Non-album
 Misc

 Possible tracks
 Misc