"Corona Radiata" is the eighth track on the Nine Inch Nails album The Slip. It is an instrumental track, and at 7:34 is the longest on the album. It is also the longest studio song by NIN (the second is "Memorabilia").
Corona Radiata are several protective layers surrounding ova or unfertilized egg cells, responsible with supplying the ova or egg cell with protein. The artwork for the song most probably represents an egg cell with the distinct corona radiata surrounding it. This might be a lead in to some sort of impregnation with the Demon Seed, implied by the red line.
The song begins with a calm and serene tone as if listening to the inside of a womb. Towards the end, drums and other effects fade in, almost like an assault from the outside. Finally, as the song closes suddenly, overlapping screams from an infant and other effects are heard.
Curiously the track overlaps from "Lights In The Sky", but whether the tracks are somehow related is possible but unknown.
Another explanation for both the title and the image can be derived from the literal translation of "Corona Radiata", which is "Radiant Crown". Traditionally a crown of light is symbolic of many things including glory, enlightenment and deification, in regards to this track it is easily interpreted as being a halo (the track art being a broken halo) thus reflecting a fall from grace. The theme of light also ties well with both The Presence and the previous track Lights In The Sky.
Appearances
Halos
Versions
Corona Radiata
This is the original album version.
Live
This song made its debut on the South American shows, with The Greater Good lyrics sang over it, making a switch to Pinion and Wish.