What song by The National appears in Portal 2?

The song by The National that appears in Portal 2 is “Exile Vilify.” It plays in one of the hidden rooms associated with Doug Rattmann, the mentally unstable Aperture employee whose graffiti and secret dens provide clues throughout the game.

The National wrote the song specifically for Portal 2. Valve reviewed the lyrics to make sure they matched the eerie, isolated mood of Rattmann’s hideout. The track was originally considered for a hidden fake ending, but it was ultimately rewritten as a darker Easter egg song.

“Exile Vilify” is easy to confuse with “Want You Gone,” which is also from Portal 2 but is performed by Ellen McLain as GLaDOS during the ending credits. “Still Alive” belongs to the original Portal, while “Cara Mia Addio” is another Portal 2 song performed by the turrets.

The song was released as a standalone digital single in April 2011 rather than being included on the freely downloadable Portal 2 soundtrack. Valve and The National later held a fan music-video contest that received 320 submissions.