Blouse (song)

Last updated

"Blouse"
Clairo on the Tonight Show.jpg
Clairo performing the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Single by Clairo
from the album Sling
Released11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
Genre Folk
Length3:15
Label
Songwriter(s) Clairo
Producer(s)
Clairo singles chronology
"I Don't Think I Can Do This Again"
(2019)		"Blouse"
(2021)		"Sexy to Someone"
(2024)
Audio video
"Blouse" on YouTube

"Blouse" is a song by American singer-songwriter Clairo, released through Fader Label and Republic Records on June 11, 2021, as the lead single from her sophomore studio album, Sling . The song was written by Clairo, produced by Clairo and Jack Antonoff, and features backing vocals from New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde.

Contents

Background and composition

Clairo announced the release of "Blouse" on June 10, 2021, with the song scheduled to come out the following day. [1] It is the lead single from Sling , Clairo's second album. [2]

Clairo speaks about her experiences of being sexualized in the music industry in the song. [3] Talking to Rolling Stone writer Angie Martoccio, Clairo highlighted the lyric of "Why do I tell you how I feel, when you’re too busy looking down my blouse? If touch could make them hear, then touch me now" on the song. [3] Clairo explained that "that line is really important to me, because it just captures so much of what that experience feels like. I was pissed off. I was pissed off that that’s a part of this, and that I’m just supposed to accept the fact that that’s a part of it. I have moments where I wonder if it even matters what I write. I put in so much effort, but is it going to get to a point where I’m just overly sexualized again? You’re so desperate for someone to hear you out that you just let them do it." [3]

"Blouse" is a folk ballad [4] [5] that features backing vocals from Lorde. [2] Lorde's backing vocals were recorded on a rainy day in New Zealand, and raindrops can be heard in the background of her vocals. [3] Speaking to Gemma Sanways of The Guardian , Clairo said of Lorde's involvement that "we talked a lot about how cool it was in the Laurel Canyon era, where people would secretly do background vocals on each other’s music – like Joni Mitchell with Carole King – rather than as a way to benefit the business side of things. Back then it was just like: 'I love your voice: will you lend your talent to my song?'" [6]

Critical reception

For Pitchfork , Quinn Moreland wrote that the song "immediately sets itself apart" from her 2019 album Immunity . [7] Of the music, Moreland said that "a hushed acoustic guitar melody is soon joined by gentle orchestral flourishes courtesy of co-producer Jack Antonoff and low-key backing vocals from Lorde". [7] Addressing the line "if touch could make them hear, then touch me now", Moreland stated that the encounter was "a devastating prospect — wanting so badly to be genuinely validated that you contemplate compromising part of yourself". [7] The review concluded by saying that "'Blouse' is a quiet yet bold leap forward for Clairo, one that puts a spotlight on her skills as a songwriter with remarkable ease". [7]

Margaret Farrell of Flood compared "Blouse" to Lorde's "Liability", saying that the songs "harness the same urgent closeness". [8] Aside from that, Farrell also noted that "orchestral strings swell around Clairo’s bruised words", and that "her vocals get slightly louder" towards the end of the song. [8]

Live performances

On June 3, 2021, Clairo announced that she would debut "Blouse" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. [9] She performed the song on June 10 in-studio on the Tonight Show. [10]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [11]

Charts

Weekly chart positions for "Blouse"
Chart (2021)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [12] 36
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 32

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Antonoff</span> American musician (born 1984)

Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. He was previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop rock band Fun and the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with the three groups, Antonoff has been prolific in songwriting and production for various music industry acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Sara Bareilles, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff is credited with impacting the sound of popular music throughout the 2010s and 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorde discography</span>

New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde has released three studio albums, four extended plays, 12 singles and 13 music videos. At the age of 13, she was signed to Universal Music Group (UMG) and started to write music. In November 2012, when she was 16 years old, she self-released The Love Club EP via SoundCloud. It was released for sale by UMG in March 2013; a song from the EP, "Royals", topped numerous single charts internationally, including the US Billboard Hot 100. The track sold over 10 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleachers (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Bleachers is an American indie pop band from New Jersey. Formed in 2013, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.

<i>Melodrama</i> (Lorde album) 2017 studio album by Lorde

Melodrama is the second studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 16 June 2017 by Lava and Republic Records and distributed through Universal. Following the breakthrough success of her debut album Pure Heroine (2013), Lorde retreated from the spotlight, and travelled between New Zealand and the United States. Initially inspired by her disillusionment with fame, she wrote Melodrama to capture heartbreak and solitude after her first breakup.

"Liability" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, from her second studio album Melodrama (2017). Lorde co-wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff. It was released on 10 March 2017, by Lava and Republic Records as the album's first promotional single. It is a pop piano ballad, which is accompanied with organs and guitar strums in the background. The track's lyrics detail the consequences and scrutiny Lorde's friends received from the media as a result of her new-found fame and the effect it had on her emotional health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Take the Money</span> 2017 song

"Don't Take the Money" is a song recorded by American indie pop act Bleachers from their second studio album Gone Now (2017). Frontman Jack Antonoff co-wrote the song with New Zealand singer Lorde, while production was handled by Antonoff, Greg Kurstin and Vince Clarke. It was released on 30 March 2017, by RCA Records as the album's lead single. "Don't Take the Money" is a pop and synth-pop song with influences from 1980s music. According to Antonoff, the song's title is a phrase he uses frequently in a motivational context about meeting a future lover.

"Sober" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, from her second studio album Melodrama (2017). Lorde co-wrote and co-produced the song with Jack Antonoff, with production assistance from Malay and vocal production from Kuk Harrell. It was released on 9 June 2017, by Republic as the album's second promotional single. "Sober" is the first of a two-track song, which is completed by "Sober II (Melodrama)". It is an electronic R&B and alternative pop song that features a tiger's roar, trumpets, brass and tenor and baritone saxophones in its production. The lyrics detail the desire to tell someone how you feel about them while wondering how it will be once the liquor wears down.

"Hard Feelings/Loveless" is a medley song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde for her second album, Melodrama (2017). She wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff, with additional production from Frank Dukes. It draws influences from genres such as industrial music and noise music, and uses a distorted synthesizer. "Loveless" includes two samples: a voice sample taken from a documentary about Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland, and a drum solo from Phil Collins' 1981 song "In the Air Tonight". The lyrics detail the emotions of falling out of love while mocking the current generation's lengths to pretend to be unaffected by love.

"Writer in the Dark" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde for her second album Melodrama (2017). She co-wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff. It is a piano ballad with sparse production and an outro. Its lyrics are Lorde's lament to an ex-lover, in which she says she will always love him but she also needs to move her life forwards. The song received acclaim from music critics, many of whom commended its songwriting. Lorde performed "Writer in the Dark" and five other songs as part of a re-imagined Vevo song series at Electric Lady Studios, and was included on the set list of her Melodrama World Tour (2017–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clairo</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1998)

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clairo discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Clairo has released three studio albums, 14 extended plays, 34 singles, and seven music videos.

"Happier" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, seen as the eighth track on Rodrigo's debut studio album Sour (2021), which was released on May 21, 2021, through Geffen Records. The song was produced by Dan Nigro. According to Rodrigo, this song was inspired by the song ''Perfect'' by Ed Sheeran in both the lyrics and the instrumental track.

"Solar Power" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde for her third studio album of the same name. The song was written and produced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff and was released on 11 June 2021 by Universal Music New Zealand as the album's lead single, after being announced on Lorde's website alongside the message "Patience is a virtue". The song also briefly leaked hours before its release and was pushed forward from its initial release date, 20 June. Musically, "Solar Power" is an indie folk, pop, psychedelic, and sunshine pop song.

<i>Solar Power</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Lorde

Solar Power is the third studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 20 August 2021, by Universal Music New Zealand. Lorde wrote and produced the album with American musician Jack Antonoff, with whom she also worked on her second studio album, Melodrama (2017).

<i>Sling</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Clairo

Sling is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Clairo. It was released on July 16, 2021, through Fader and Republic. It serves as the follow-up to her debut album, Immunity. The album was announced on June 11, 2021, alongside the release of the lead single, "Blouse".

"Stoned at the Nail Salon" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, released through Universal Music New Zealand on 22 July 2021 as the second single from her third studio album, Solar Power. The song was written and produced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff, and features backing vocals from Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, Marlon Williams, and Lawrence Arabia.

"Fallen Fruit" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. The song was released as the fourth single from her third studio album, Solar Power, coinciding with the release of the album's bonus tracks to streaming services on 2 November 2021. The song was written and produced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff, and features backing vocals from Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, Marlon Williams, and Lawrence Arabia.

"Mood Ring" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. The song was released through Universal Music New Zealand on 18 August 2021, as the third single from her third studio album, Solar Power. "Mood Ring" was written and produced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff.

<i>Charm</i> (Clairo album) 2024 studio album by Clairo

Charm is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Clairo, released on July 12, 2024. The follow-up to her second album, Sling (2021), it is her first self-released studio album after her previous two albums were released by Fader and Republic respectively. Clairo produced the album alongside Leon Michels with musical contributions from Nick Movshon, Homer Steinweiss, Marco Benevento, and Dave Guy, among others.

References

  1. ↑ Graves, Shahlin (10 June 2021). "Clairo to release new song 'Blouse' tomorrow!". Coup de Main. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 Langford, Jackson (11 June 2021). "Clairo announces new album 'Sling', drops lead single 'Blouse'". NME . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Martoccio, Angie (8 July 2021). "Clairo's Wide Open Spaces". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Sowing (17 July 2021). "Review: Clairo — Sling". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Martoccio, Angie (11 June 2021). "Clairo Drops Crushing Ballad 'Blouse' With Backing Vocals by Lorde". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Samways, Gemma (13 July 2021). "Clairo: 'This industry drains young women until they're not youthful any more'". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Moreland, Quinn (11 June 2021). ""Blouse" by Clairo Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. 1 2 Farrell, Margaret (11 June 2021). "Clairo Announces Sophomore Album With Devastating New Song "Blouse"". Flood. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Lavin, Will (3 June 2021). "Clairo announces new single 'Blouse' coming next week". NME . Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. ↑ Cantor, Brian (10 June 2021). "Clairo Performs New Song "Blouse" On Thursday's "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Watch Now)". Headline Planet. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Credits / Blouse / Clairo". Tidal . Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 21 June 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: June 26, 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.