Ben Franklin (song)

Last updated

"Ben Franklin"
Ben Franklin - Snail Mail - Cover.jpg
Single by Snail Mail
from the album Valentine
ReleasedOctober 13, 2021 (2021-10-13)
Genre Synth-pop
Length3:01
Label Matador
Songwriter(s) Lindsey Jordan
Producer(s)
  • Brad Cook
  • Lindsey Jordan
Snail Mail singles chronology
"Valentine"
(2021)
"Ben Franklin"
(2021)
"Madonna"
(2021)
Music video
"Ben Franklin" on YouTube

"Ben Franklin" is a song by the American solo project Snail Mail from her second studio album Valentine (2021). "Ben Franklin" is named after the American Founding Father, stemming from an internet meme. It is a synth-pop song with a heavy bassline, synthesizers, and lyrics about heartbreak. The track was written by Lindsey Jordan, the sole member of Snail Mail, and was produced by Jordan alongside Brad Cook. The song also features backing vocals from Katie Crutchfield, a close friend of Jordan's. "Ben Franklin" was released as the second single off Valentine on October 13, 2021, alongside an accompanying music video. It received critical acclaim, with the staff of Rolling Stone naming it the 20th-best song of the year.

Contents

Background and release

In November 2020, Lindsey Jordan, the sole member of Snail Mail, went to a rehabilitation facility in Arizona and stayed for 45 days, citing a "unique set of circumstances and challenges" stemming from her early rise to fame. [1] [2] After she left, she was connected to producer Brad Cook by Katie Crutchfield so that Jordan and Cook could record Valentine. [2] [3] Jordan recalled writing the instrumental track to "Ben Franklin" before its melody; it was the only song which she had ever written that way. [4] Later, Jordan mentioned to Crutchfield that she wanted to add harmonies to the song's chorus, leading to her recording backing vocals for the track. [3] According to Jordan, the title of "Ben Franklin" originated from an internet meme about a "presidential-type beat", which led her to title the song's original file "Ben Franklin-Type Beat". [3]

"Ben Franklin" was released as the second single from Valentine on October 13, 2021; [5] [6] Jordan initially expressed apprehension on releasing the track due to its different sound, but ultimately decided to do so. [7] The song was later released as the second track of Valentine on November 5. [8]

Music video

A music video for the track, directed by Josh Coll, was released on October 13, 2021. [9] As opposed to following a narrative, the song's music video was written by Jordan to "look cool" [10] — it includes scenes of Jordan dancing, playing with a band in a bedroom, playing with a dog, and eating cereal with a snake around her neck. [11] [12] The music video was shot in a New Jersey mansion, with her attempting to capture a "waspy" style inspired by a Tina Barney photograph of a large snake in a mansion. [4] [12] Jordan initially planned to feature a ton of puppies in the video, but decided after an interview process to only use one Golden Retriever named Mayo. [13]

Composition and lyrics

"Ben Franklin" is a synth-pop song [14] with elements of indie rock, [15] dance music, [16] hip-hop, [17] and funk. [13] Instrumentally, the song contains a prominent bassline, "airy" synthesizers, and "crunchy" drums. [18] [19] [20] The song also contains a faint baritone guitar riff, which Jordan stylistically compared to those by Death Cab for Cutie. [10] Additionally, Shaad D'Souza of The Fader stylistically compared the song to those on the St. Vincent album Masseducation , [20] while Abby Jones of NPR Music compared it to those by Garbage. [21]

Quinn Moreland of Pitchfork characterized the song's lyrics as being about "trying to feign apathy in the face of breakup", [1] while Mark Richardson of The Wall Street Journal observed that the lyrics "chastise a lover who didn't honor promises". [19] The song also references her rehabilitation in the lyric, "Post-rehab, I've been feeling so small / I miss your attention, I wish I could call". [21] Jordan has explained how she contemplated omitting the line due to how personal it was, but decided to include it as she "couldn't ignore" the treatment's impact on her and her music. [22]

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Ben Franklin" received critical acclaim, appearing on the 'best songs of the week' lists of Stereogum , [23] Paste , [24] and Under the Radar . [25] Consequence 's Bryan Kress chose the track as a highlight on Valentine, [26] while Hayden Merrick of PopMatters wrote that it was one of Jordan's best songs, praising its "Saunders dichotomy" of bleakness and humor. [16] Neive McCarthy of Dork commended the song's atmosphere for its "haunting" yet "grounded" nature. [27] The A.V. Club 's Gabrielle Sanchez praised the song's lyrics for being "sharply self aware and honest", and for its complexity. [28] Sue Park of Pitchfork particularly praised Jordan's vocal performance on the track, calling her subdued performance "more vicious than her scream", [18] while Scott Russell of Paste lauded her use of falsetto in the song's bridge. [29] The staff of Rolling Stone named "Ben Franklin" the 20th-best song of 2021. [30]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music. [5]

References

  1. 1 2 Moreland, Quinn (September 21, 2021). "Snail Mail Can't Help But Confess". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Martoccio, Angie (October 29, 2021). "The Truth About Snail Mail" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 2, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Rettig, James (November 5, 2021). "The Story Behind Every Song On Snail Mail's New Album Valentine". Stereogum . Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Kaplan, Ilana (November 11, 2021). "Snail Mail Wrote Through the Pain to Make Valentine". Elle . Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Ben Franklin — Song by Snail Mail — Apple Music". Archived from the original on June 15, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  6. "Snail Mail". Matador Records. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025. On 'Ben Franklin', the second single of the album...
  7. Rihter, Ivana (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail Has A Bleeding Heart". Bustle . Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  8. Ruiz, Matthew (September 15, 2021). "Snail Mail Announces New Album Valentine, Shares New Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  9. Ruiz, Matthew (October 13, 2021). "Snail Mail Shares Video for New Song "Ben Franklin": Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Curto, Justin (December 7, 2021). "Lindsey Jordan's Long, Bumpy Road to Creative Control of Snail Mail". Vulture . Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  11. Maroccio, Angie (October 13, 2021). "Snail Mail Dances Through the Pain on 'Ben Franklin'" . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Adams, Gregory (March 28, 2022). "Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan: "I'm a perfectionist – I will rip a song apart until it is done"". Guitar World . Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Leedham, Robert (November 3, 2021). "Snail Mail: 'Nobody could have told me that burnout was real when I was 17'". GQ . Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  14. Donelson, Marcy. "Valentine Review". AllMusic . Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  15. Myles, Alex (November 16, 2021). "Snail Mail - Valentine (Album Review)". Stereoboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Merrick, Hayden (November 2, 2021). "Snail Mail's Songwriting Reaches Dizzying Heights on 'Valentine'". PopMatters . Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  17. Lamphier, Jason (November 3, 2021). "Snail Mail on Lana Del Rey, Lindsay Lohan, and the album that wrecks her". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Park, Sue (October 21, 2021). "Snail Mail: "Ben Franklin" Track Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (November 8, 2021). "'Valentine' by Snail Mail Review: The Beauty and Pain of Private Moments" . The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025. On track 2, 'Ben Franklin,' a snarking bassline and airy synthesizers frame her vocals, as she chastises a lover who didn't honor promises while also touching on her own fragile state as she struggles with substance abuse...
  20. 1 2 D'Souza, Shaad; et al. (October 14, 2021). "10 songs you need in your life this week". The Fader . Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  21. 1 2 Jones, Abby (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail knows young love is a risk. On 'Valentine,' she dives in anyway". NPR. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  22. Hunt, El (October 8, 2021). "Snail Mail: "It's awesome seeing lots of women and queer people in music"". NME . Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  23. "The 5 Best Songs Of The Week". Stereogum . October 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 15, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  24. "The 5 Best New Songs". Paste . October 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 14, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  25. Redfern, Mark; Arnone, Joey (October 15, 2021). "12 Best Songs of the Week: Cate Le Bon, Imarhan, Elbow, Snail Mail, and More". Under the Radar . Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  26. Kress, Bryan (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail Hits the Emotional Sweet Spot on Valentine". Consequence . Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  27. McCarthy, Neive (November 9, 2021). "Snail Mail: You've got mail". Dork . Archived from the original on April 17, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  28. Sanchez, Gabrielle (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail's Valentine is a soul-stirring study in vulnerability and romance". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  29. Russell, Scott (October 13, 2021). "Listen to Snail Mail's Second Valentine Single, "Ben Franklin"". Paste. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  30. Martoccio, Angie; et al. (December 6, 2021). "The 50 Best Songs of 2021". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 15, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.