Red Lips (song) explained

Red Lips
Cover:SkyFerreiraRedLipsCover.png
Type:single
Artist:Sky Ferreira
Ep:Ghost
Label:Capitol
Producer:Greg Kurstin
Prev Title:Sex Rules
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:Everything Is Embarrassing
Next Year:2013

"Red Lips" is a song by American singer Sky Ferreira from her second extended play (EP), Ghost (2012). It was released on July 17, 2012, by Capitol Records. The song was written and produced by Greg Kurstin, with additional songwriting provided by Shirley Manson. "Red Lips" is a pop rock song that describes the emotional deterioration of an individual that Ferreira disliked. It differs from the previous electropop styles displayed in her earlier works; this was deliberately done to prevent Ferreira from being branded in a similar fashion as Britney Spears, which she felt that Capitol Records had intended to do.

Despite Ghost itself garnering mixed reviews, "Red Lips" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its overall production. However, the track failed to impact any national record charts. An accompanying music video for "Red Lips" was directed by Terry Richardson, and was premiered through Richardson's YouTube channel on June 12, 2012. Critics directed their commentaries towards Ferreira's increasingly risqué public persona, shifting from the more innocent image with which she launched her career.

Background and composition

With her debut studio album having been frequently delayed throughout the early 2010s,[1] Ferreira released her second extended play Ghost on October 2, 2012, while simultaneously continuing production of her full-length album.[2] "Red Lips" appears as the fourth of five songs on the track listing;[3] a preview of the song was first released through YouTube earlier that February.[4] "Red Lips" was later heard on the television series Gossip Girl, during the episode "Save the Last Chance" from its sixth and final season on November 26, 2012.[5]

"Red Lips" was written and produced by Greg Kurstin, with additional songwriting provided by Shirley Manson.[6] Ferreira first collaborated with Kurstin on her demo track "Femme Fatale", and first came into contact with Manson through her Myspace profile which she had been uploading her music on. They were concerned that her record label intended to brand her like Britney Spears; these conversations prompted Manson to offer Ferreira the track "Red Lips". She made lyrical adjustments to remove slang commonly used in British English, including the term "taking a piss", to better suit the American Ferreira.[1] The track incorporates pop rock and grunge musical styles,[7] becoming a departure from the electropop elements explored in her earlier tracks.[8] "Red Lips" also includes prominent guitar instrumentation, which Michael Cragg from The Guardian felt signaled a musical transition for Ferreira; he further compared the song to the works of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.[6] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse noted that the blending of "intimidating stabs of guitars and a wicked drum pulse" showcased "the acidic side of Sky's attitude".

Ferreira stated that the lyrics for "Red Lips" were intended as a narrative of the emotional breakdown of "a very specific person or a type [that] always made me feel uncomfortable".[1] In October 2012, DJ Com Truise released a synth-pop remix of "Red Lips", which a writer for Fact felt complimented the songs on his debut studio album Galactic Melt (2011).[7] The DSL remix of the original track is included in the soundtrack album to the feature film Vampire Academy (2014).[9]

Critical reception

"Red Lips" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its overall production. Writing for Consequence of Sound, Tony Hardy offered a favorable review and appreciated the grunge music elements seen throughout the track, despite opining that its parent extended play Ghost (2012) lacked a creative focus.[10] Michael Cragg from The Guardian recognized the track as a "welcome return for Sky Ferreira", and compared it to the works of the band Garbage, which songwriter Shirley Manson is a member of.[6] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse shared a similar sentiment, elaborating that the track "plays like the unofficial sequel" to "Cherry Lips" by the band.[11] Jon Caramanica from The New York Times drew comparisons to the tracks "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes and "In Bloom" by Nirvana.[12] Writing for Pitchfork, Katherine St. Asaph appreciated that Ferreira "fares better and sounds far more comfortable" on tracks including "Red Lips", which she felt that Ferreira "[sells] with a distant, almost tossed-off vocal."[13] In a more mixed review, a writer for Tiny Mix Tapes was disappointed that Ferreira came across as an "imitation" of Avril Lavigne and Fefe Dobson on the track.[14]

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Red Lips" was directed by Terry Richardson. She went into its filming open-minded in regards to its concept, and ultimately agreed with the creative direction that Richardson proposed.[1] The final product was premiered through Richardson's YouTube channel on June 12, 2012;[8] it later appeared on Ferreira's Vevo channel on July 13.[15] The clip sees Ferreira, dressed in underwear, applying lipstick on her entire face, and is interspersed with footage of its co-star, the spider "Toby the Tarantula", crawling across her body.[15] She stated that her wardrobe was intended to complement the simplistic nature of the music video, rather than an attempt to create sex appeal.[1]

Critics directed their commentaries of the music video towards Ferreira's increasingly risqué public persona, shifting from the more innocent image with which she launched her career. A writer from MuuMuse provided a favorable review, comparing it to the visuals for "Criminal" by Fiona Apple and summarizing that "Sky Ferreira is cooler than anything you and I could ever be."[16] Becky Bain from Idolator stated that the appearance of Toby the Tarantula was "somehow nowhere near as disconcerting as the image of Sky, looking washed out with platinum hair against a white background, crazily painting her face with a tube of red lipstick."[17] Michael Cragg of The Guardian felt that Ferreira's friendship with the controversial Richardson showcased a "shift away from the pop princess she felt she was being moulded into", and commented that the spider was "not for the faint-hearted".[6]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the limited edition of Night Time, My Time.[18]

Recording

Personnel

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United StatesJuly 17, 2012Digital downloadCapitol
Canada[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aquino. Tara. Interview: Sky Ferreira Talks "Red Lips," Terry Richardson and Being Seen As A Socialite. Complex. June 15, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  2. Web site: St. Asaph. Katherine. Sky Ferreira: "Everything Is Embarrassing". Pitchfork. August 31, 2012. November 2, 2018.
  3. Web site: Ghost – EP by Sky Ferreira. iTunes Store (US). January 31, 2014.
  4. Web site: Stern. Bradley. Sky Ferreira Releases Preview Clip of Upcoming Single, "Red Lips". MuuMuse. 21 February 2012 . January 31, 2014.
  5. Web site: Ricketts. Whitney. Gossip Girl Music: Songs From Season 6, Episode 7, "Save the Last Chance". Wetpaint. November 26, 2012. February 2, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20130407205652/http://www.wetpaint.com/gossip-girl/articles/gossip-girl-music-songs-from-season-6-episode-7-save-the-last-chance. April 7, 2013.
  6. Web site: Cragg. Michael. New music: Sky Ferreira – Red Lips. The Guardian. June 14, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  7. Web site: Strem Com Truise's Extravagant Synth Remix of Sky Ferreira's 'Red Lips'. Fact. October 11, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  8. Web site: Moore. Jacob. Video: Sky Ferreira "Red Lips". Complex. June 12, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  9. Vampire academy soundtrack announced. Universal Music Group. January 31, 2014. February 4, 2014. Yahoo!7. https://web.archive.org/web/20140302002840/http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/21186368/vampire-academy-soundtrack-announced/. March 2, 2014.
  10. Web site: Hardy. Tony. Album Review: Sky Ferreira – Ghost EP. Consequence of Sound. October 16, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  11. Web site: Stern. Bradley. Sky Ferreira, 'Ghost EP' (Album Review). MuuMuse. October 2012. February 8, 2014.
  12. Web site: Caramanica. Jon. Jon Caramanica. Releases by Jason Aldean, Sky Ferreira and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The New York Times. October 15, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  13. Web site: St. Asaph. Katherine. Sky Ferreira: Ghost EP. Pitchfork. October 19, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  14. Web site: Sky Ferreira Ghost [EP]]. Tiny Mix Tapes. October 22, 2012. January 20, 2019.
  15. Web site: Sky Ferreira – Red Lips (Official Video). YouTube. July 13, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  16. Web site: Stern. Bradley. Sky Ferreira: "Red Lips" (Video Premiere). MuuMuse. June 12, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  17. Web site: Bain. Becky. Sky Ferreira Befriends A Tarantula In Terry Richardson-Directed "Red Lips" Video. Idolator. June 12, 2012. January 31, 2014.
  18. . limited edition liner notes . . . 2014 . B002007302.
  19. Web site: Red Lips – Single by Sky Ferreira. iTunes Store (Canada). February 10, 2014.