Actor Out of Work

Last updated
"Actor Out of Work"
Actor out of Work - St. Vincent (2009 single artwork).jpg
Single by St. Vincent
from the album Actor
B-side "Bicycle"
ReleasedApril 20, 2009 (2009-04-20)
Genre
Length2:15
Label 4AD
Songwriter(s) Annie Clark
Producer(s)
St. Vincent singles chronology
"Jesus Saves, I Spend"
(2007)
"Actor Out of Work"
(2009)
"Marrow"
(2009)

"Actor Out of Work" is the first single from Actor , the second album by American musician St. Vincent. Written in one night as a reaction to her producer's comments on the rest of Actor, the song features an aggressive rock sound and lyrics addressing a deceitful lover.

Contents

Released as a single, "Actor Out of Work" was accompanied by a music video featuring actors crying at an audition run by St. Vincent. The song saw positive reviews from music writers upon its release and has since attracted praise as a highlight of Actor and as one of St. Vincent's best songs.

Background

St. Vincent wrote "Actor Out of Work" in one night at the request of her producer John Congleton, who was frustrated with how the rest of the material for the Actor album "sounded like outtakes from the Lion King on Broadway." St. Vincent recalled, "I wrote 'Actor Out of Work' at my mom's house in my childhood bedroom. I felt like a fraud. I felt like people were frauds. I wanted to be hit. I wanted to hit." [1]

The song's studio arrangement took influence from Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets . [1] Lyrically, the song uses the image of an out-of-work actor to represent an unconvincing lover. [2]

Release

"Actor Out of Work" was chosen as the lead single for the Actor album, being released by 4AD in April 2009. The B-side of the single was "Bicycle". The single did not chart. [3]

Critical reception

"Actor Out of Work" saw a positive critical reception upon its release as a single. Pitchfork stated, "Her acerbic lyrics and skewed production—the kind that wouldn't sound out of place at the mixing board of a beardy noise-rocker—belie a crystalline voice and a face that could land any actor work. Tough love never sounded sweeter, and 'Actor Out of Work' is no exception." [4] Complex commented, "The song features some nice backup vocals, driving drums, and has a nice hummable melody. ... Check it out." [5]

In reviews for Actor, "Actor Out of Work" was often singled out for praise. Heather Phares of AllMusic described it as "forceful" and noted, "The song's brisk dance between hot and cold is dazzling." The A.V. Club noted how the song evoked the "tumultuous marriage of prog and new wave typified by Scary Monsters -era Bowie and early Peter Gabriel."

The song has also appeared in several rankings. Pitchfork listed it as the 52nd best song of 2009, noting, "Annie Clark gave herself exactly 135 seconds for this audition, and makes the most of them." [6] Additionally, the Guardian , [7] Paste Magazine , [8] and Stereogum [9] all included the song on their lists of the best St. Vincent songs.

Music video

A music video directed by the team Terri Timely [10] was produced for "Actor Out of Work", where St. Vincent holds auditions for a series of actors, each of whom attempts their best performative crying breakdown. St. Vincent commented on the reaction to the video, "A lot of people got confused and thought I was so mean that I made people cry, which was not what I intended... but I sort of like it." [11]

The video also brought St. Vincent to the attention to future collaborator David Byrne, who later said, "When I met Annie I complimented her on how disturbing her video was." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Mann</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1960)

Aimee Elizabeth Mann is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. Her work with the producer Jon Brion in the 1990s was influential on American alternative rock, and she is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Vincent (musician)</span> American musician (born 1982)

Anne Erin Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, is an American musician and singer. Her music is noted for its complex arrangements utilizing a wide array of instruments. St. Vincent is the recipient of various accolades, including three Grammy Awards. Her guitar playing has been praised for its melodic style and use of distortion, and she has been listed among the best guitarists of the 21st century by multiple publications. Rolling Stone named Clark as the 26th greatest guitarist of all time in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens</span> American musician (born 1975)

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The National (band)</span> American indie rock band

The National is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1999. The band consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). Carin Besser, the wife of Matt Berninger, is not a band member but has written lyrics for the band alongside her husband since its 2007 album Boxer.

<i>Marry Me</i> (St. Vincent album) 2007 studio album by St. Vincent

Marry Me is the debut studio album by American musician St. Vincent. It was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States and on September 3, 2007 in the United Kingdom, through Beggars Banquet Records. The album is named after a running gag from the television show Arrested Development. As of 2009, the album has sold an estimated 30,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let It Happen</span> 2015 single by Tame Impala

"Let It Happen" is a song by the Australian rock artist Tame Impala. It was released as the lead single from their third studio album, Currents (2015), on 10 March 2015. The song centers on accepting personal transition, and was worked on in various locations around the world. The song runs at nearly eight minutes long, and its second half contains a section of the song repeating akin to a scratched Compact Disc, and stripped-down lyrics consisting of gibberish. It also has vocoded-like vocals in the second half, which were actually manipulated with a keyboard sampler.

<i>Actor</i> (album) 2009 studio album by St. Vincent

Actor is the second album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on May 4, 2009, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The artist was influenced by scores to films by Disney and Woody Allen. To prevent writer's block, she watched films without the sound and composed music for her favorite scenes. After arranging the music using GarageBand, she then wrote lyrics and added gentle vocal melodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rostam Batmanglij</span> American musician (born 1983)

Rostam Batmanglij, known mononymously as Rostam, is an American record producer, musician, singer, songwriter, and composer. He was a founding member of the band Vampire Weekend, whose first three albums he produced. He has been described by Stereogum as one of the greatest pop and indie-rock producers of his generation. Rostam also works as a solo artist and is a member of electro-soul group Discovery. He produced his first number-one album, Vampire Weekend's Contra, when he was 27 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How to Dress Well</span> American multimedia artist

How to Dress Well is the stage name of Tom Krell, an American multimedia artist, singer-songwriter, and producer from Boulder, Colorado. His musical work falls under ambient music, experimental electronic, and alternative R&B. He began releasing music independently through his own blog around 2009 and via labels like Tri Angle, Lefse Records, Weird World, and eventually Domino later on in his career.

<i>Strange Mercy</i> 2011 studio album by St. Vincent

Strange Mercy is the third studio album by American musician St. Vincent, released on September 13, 2011 by 4AD, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The album's cover art was designed by St. Vincent, and was photographed by Tina Tyrell. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200, it was St. Vincent's highest charting album at the time, later being surpassed by her next two solo albums, St. Vincent (2014) and Masseduction (2017). In addition, Strange Mercy received significant critical acclaim.

<i>Father, Son, Holy Ghost</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Girls

Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the second and final studio album by San Francisco rock band Girls, released September 13, 2011 on True Panther Sounds in the United States, September 12, 2011 on Fantasytrashcan/Turnstile in Europe, September 7, 2011 in Japan on Fantasytrashcan/Turnstile and September 14 in Mexico on Arts & Crafts México. Three singles were released from the album; "Vomit", "Honey Bunny" and "My Ma", the latter of which was released exclusively on vinyl with a limited 1000 copies in print. The album peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200 and received critical acclaim upon its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim & Jessie</span> 2008 single by M83

"Kim & Jessie" is a song by French electronic band M83. Written by Anthony and Yann Gonzalez with Morgan Kibby, it was released in July 2008 as the third single from M83's fifth studio album, Saturdays = Youth.

<i>St. Vincent</i> (album) 2014 studio album by St. Vincent

St. Vincent is the fourth studio album by American musician St. Vincent. It was released on February 24, 2014, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States, through Loma Vista Recordings and Republic Records. Produced by John Congleton, it features collaborations with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings drummer Homer Steinweiss and Midlake drummer McKenzie Smith. The tracks were arranged and demoed by Annie Clark in Austin, Texas and recorded at the Elmwood studio in Dallas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Polachek</span> American singer (born 1985)

Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek co-founded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late-2000s Brooklyn music scene with the sleeper hit "Bruises".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Night Is Still Young (Nicki Minaj song)</span> 2015 single by Nicki Minaj

"The Night Is Still Young" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, released as the sixth single from her third studio album The Pinkprint (2014), by Cash Money and Republic. It was written by Minaj, Ester Dean, Theron Thomas and Cirkut; and produced by Cirkut. It is a dance pop song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese Breakfast</span> American alternative pop band

Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band headed by musician Michelle Zauner. Zauner started the band as a side project in 2013, when she was leading the Philadelphia-based emo group Little Big League. She has said that she named the band after seeing a GIF of Japanese breakfast and deciding that the term would be considered "exotic" to Americans; she also thought it would make others wonder what a Japanese breakfast consists of.

<i>Masseduction</i> 2017 studio album by St. Vincent

Masseduction is the fifth studio album by American musician St. Vincent, released on October 13, 2017, through Loma Vista Recordings. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, becoming her first top ten album in the United States. The album also received universal acclaim and was the fourth-most mentioned in critics' year-end lists for 2017. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Masseduction won the award for Best Recording Package and Best Rock Song for its title track, and was also nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album.

Johanna Warren is an American musician and actor. To date she has released six solo albums. Rolling Stone Magazine has called her a "Singer-Songwriter You Need to Know."

"Pay Your Way in Pain" is a song recorded by American musician St. Vincent for her sixth studio album, Daddy's Home (2021). The song was written and produced by St. Vincent and Jack Antonoff. It was released on March 4, 2021, as the album's lead single by Loma Vista Recordings and Concord Records. A synth-driven funk song influenced by the 1970s, its lyrics were inspired by the singer's own struggles.

<i>Jubilee</i> (Japanese Breakfast album) 2021 studio album by Japanese Breakfast

Jubilee is the third studio album by American alternative pop band Japanese Breakfast, released on June 4, 2021 through Dead Oceans. Released shortly after the publication of her memoir Crying in H Mart, frontwoman Michelle Zauner said, "After spending the last five years writing about grief," she wanted Japanese Breakfast's third album "to be about joy".

References

  1. 1 2 Clark, Annie. "St. Vincent Reflects on Ten Years of "Actor"". FLOOD. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. "St. Vincent: Actor". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  3. "St. Vincent – Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  4. "St. Vincent: "Actor Out of Work"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  5. "New! St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work". Complex. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. "The Top 100 Tracks of 2009 - Page 5". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  7. 1 2 Allen, Jeremy (1 July 2015). "St Vincent: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  8. "The 20 Best St. Vincent Songs". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  9. "The 10 Best St. Vincent Songs". Stereogum. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  10. Stosuy, Brandon (10 April 2009). "New St. Vincent Video – "Actor Out of Work"". Stereogum. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  11. Ryzik, Melena (6 May 2009). "Friendly, and Just a Bit Creepy: St. Vincent Defies Categories (Published 2009)". New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2023.