| As If! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | March 22, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2009–11 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 16:49 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer |
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| Sky Ferreira chronology | ||||
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| Singles from As If! | ||||
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As If! is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer and songwriter Sky Ferreira. It was released on March 22, 2011 by Capitol Records, in place of her frequently delayed debut studio album, which eventually became Night Time, My Time (2013). Its lead single "Sex Rules" was released on March 1, 2011. [1]
Ferreira, who had been in contact with music from an early age, started recording professionally when she was 14. This move was done by Ferreira after going to a Daft Punk concert, which she credited with having "changed [her] life"; she also started going to nightclubs and listening to dance music. From there on, Ferreira began making several demos with friends on audio-specializing program GarageBand, and uploading them onto her Myspace account. [2] [3]
Ferreira also featured a remix of the song "Teen Lovers" by American band the Virgins, produced by the Shoes and gained attention online peaking atop the Hype Machine chart. After the production duo Bloodshy & Avant noticed them, Ferreira was introduced to several "major" record labels which became interested in signing her, as well as producers who wanted to work with her. That interest led to a bidding war between several labels, who according to Ferreira, viewed her as a "way of making money". [4] [2]
Due to promises that she would have "creative freedom" and control, Ferreira ultimately opted for EMI. Six months after, she realized that those claims were false, as the executives at the label largely controlled her creative decisions. While recording, Ferreira started working with independent producers, such as Paul Epworth, however the label suggested collaborations with more known musicians—for example, Dr. Luke—as part of a process which was described as "mould[ing]" Ferreira "into the perfect little pop robot". [4]
Ferreira released two songs in 2010, titled "17" and "One". [5] While the former did not chart, the latter managed to peak at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. [6] "Obsession" was announced as the lead single from her planned debut, and scheduled for US radio release in September of that year. Simultaneously, the album was announced for a January 11, 2011 release. "Obsession", however, was not able to enter any record chart with the exception of the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. [7] [8] After EMI lost money on promoting Ferreira, the label reduced her budget "dramatically", ultimately leading to the cancellation of the album. [9] [10]
However, the album was postponed and As If! was announced for release on March 22, 2011 by Capitol Records. [11] [12] Prior to the extended play's release, "Sex Rules" was issued as a promotional single on March 1, 2011. [13] Ferreira and "Sex Rules" were concurrently featured in the advertisement campaign for Calvin Klein's CK One brand. [12] [14]
Unlike Ferreira's later work, her first EP was heavily pop-centric, relying mostly on synthesizers and electronic drums, with no acoustic instruments. On the opening track "Sex Rules", Ferreira sings over a 1980s pop-style beat about sexual liberation, instructing the listener to "Use your god-given tools". "Traces" is a slower ballad produced by Colin Monroe and co-written by English artist Neon Hitch. It contains a dark piano melody, with subtle strings hidden behind robotic dubstep whines and beats. "Haters Anonymous" is an abstract electronic thumper where Ferreira reads the lyrics in a low droning voice, speaking about media backlash and the hypocrisy of her critics. "99 Tears" contains a screaming Siouxsie and the Banshees sample at the intro, followed by more 1980s electropop. Lyrically the song is about revenge on an ex-lover. The closing track "108" tells an abstract tale of a deranged girl in love with an immortal being. The lyrics are stuttered and chanted over melancholic electronic-pop, with Bloodshy & Avant's signature piano arpeggio's and vintage theremin samples.[ citation needed ]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| MuuMuse |  [15] |
| Rolling Stone |   [16] |
Upon release, As If! received polarizing responses from music journalists. Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone provided a positive review for the extended play, awarding it a rating of three and a half stars out of five. Ganz described it as "incredibly fun" and while expounding on Ferreira's Internet hype, she stated that the record proved that "the heat isn't just hot air". [16] MuuMuse's Bradley Stern echoed praise for the disc, deeming it a "rock solid" "perfect pop production" and favoring Ferreira's musicality and personality. [15] Writing for The New York Times , Jon Caramanica typed a more mixed critique—while he highlighted As If!'s "inevitability" and its production, he criticized Ferreira's "dry" delivery and the songs' lyricism. [17]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of As If!. [18]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sex Rules" |
| Kurstin | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Traces" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 3. | "Haters Anonymous" |
| 3:48 | |
| 4. | "99 Tears" |
| Kurstin | 3:28 |
| 5. | "108" |
|
| 3:17 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | March 22, 2011 | Digital download | Capitol | [20] |
| United States | [21] |
Bloodshy & Avant are a Swedish songwriting and production duo consisting of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg. They have worked with many prominent artists, including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Kelis, Girls' Generation, Christina Milian, Sky Ferreira, Hikaru Utada and BoA. In addition to their production work, Karlsson and Winnberg are also members of the synth-pop group Miike Snow, alongside lead vocalist Andrew Wyatt.
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Sky Tonia Ferreira is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloodshy & Avant and a recording contract with Parlophone in 2009. She released her first extended play, As If!, in 2011, which combined elements of electropop and dance music. Ferreira's second EP Ghost (2012), however, incorporated pop with more stripped-down song structures and featured collaborations with Jon Brion and Shirley Manson, as well as the critically acclaimed track "Everything Is Embarrassing", which she composed with Dev Hynes.
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Lars Christian Karlsson, also known by his stage name Bloodshy, is a Swedish record producer, DJ, and remixer known for his work with the musical groups Bloodshy and Avant, Miike Snow, Ingrid, and Galantis. He started his international music career as one half of the electro pop duo Bloodshy & Avant with Pontus Winnberg, producing and co-writing tracks for pop stars such as Madonna, BoA, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry. Bloodshy & Avant notably co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' single "Toxic", which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. While continuing to work with Bloodshy and Avant, Karlsson also became a member of the indie pop band Miike Snow around 2007. Miike Snow, the group's debut album, was released in 2009, and peaked at number 11 on the Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Miike Snow won the 2011 European Border Breakers Award, and their second album Happy to You reached No. 1 on the Belgian Heatseekers Albums Chart and 43 on the Billboard 200.
"One" is a song by American singer Sky Ferreira. The song was written by Ferreira, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, Magnus Lidehäll, Marit Bergman, and Pontus Winnberg, and produced by Bloodshy & Avant. It was released as a single on August 20, 2010.
"Aphrodite" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, taken from her eleventh studio album of the same name (2010). Written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley, the song was included as the title track on the album, which was released on 5 July 2010. It was later included in the track list of Minogue's seventh extended play, A Christmas Gift, which was released on 1 December 2010. The song is a dance-pop track in which Minogue personifies herself as Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.
"Sex Rules" is a song by American singer Sky Ferreira from her debut extended play (EP), As If! (2011). It was released on March 1, 2011, by Capitol Records as the lead single from the EP. The song was written by Ferreira, Greg Kurstin, Billy Steinberg, and Daniel Lutrell, while production was handled by Kurstin. Looking to transition from the disco music elements seen in her earlier single "17", Ferreira explored electropop and synth-pop styles with "Sex Rules". In the track, Ferreira frankly declares her infatuation for sexual intercourse.
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Night Time, My Time is the debut studio album by American singer Sky Ferreira, released on October 29, 2013, by Capitol Records. The album was originally set to be released in 2011, following the singles "17", "One", and "Obsession". However, they became commercial failures and caused her label to postpone the album repeatedly. As a result, many recording sessions were held for the album; some of which went towards two extended plays (EP), As If! (2011) and Ghost (2012).
"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.
American singer and songwriter Sky Ferreira has released one studio album, three extended plays, 10 singles, three promotional singles, and 15 music videos. She signed a recording contract with Parlophone in 2009, and released the song "One" through the label in 2010. It was written by Ferreira, Bloodshy & Avant, Magnus Lidehäll, and Marit Bergman, and peaked at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by "Obsession" later that year, which was written by Ferreira, Jerrod Bettis, Justin Franks, and Ryan Tedder. It reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. During this time, much of her lyrical content incorporated themes of rebellion and teenage romance.
Kylie and Garibay is the eponymous second extended play (EP) by musical duo Kylie and Garibay. It was released on 11 September 2015 by Parlophone and Warner Bros. Records and served as a sequel to Kylie and Garibay's first collaboration, Sleepwalker (2014). Produced by American producer Fernando Garibay and Italian disc jockey (DJ) Giorgio Moroder, the three-track EP was developed between February and August 2015, shortly after Kylie Minogue's departure from Parlophone and American-based management Roc Nation. Musically, it is influenced by electronica, ambient house, and, after Minogue's departure, reggae and dancehall. Its lyrical content completes a story arc that began in their previous EP, going from loss to recovery.
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