Ribs (song)

"Ribs"

"Ribs" cover
Promotional single by Lorde from the album Pure Heroine
Released 30 September 2013
Format Digital download
Recorded
Genre
Length 4:18
Label UMG
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Little
  • Yelich-O'Connor (add.)

"Ribs" is a song by New Zealand singer Lorde, taken from her debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013). The song was released as a promotional single on 30 September 2013 by Universal Music Group (UMG). Written by Lorde and Joel Little and produced by Little, with additional production from Lorde, "Ribs" is an electronica and electropop song discussing Lorde's stress of ageing.

"Ribs" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its lyrical content. The track appeared on record charts of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Lorde performed the song on numerous occasions, including on the Late Show with David Letterman and her debut concert tour in 2014.

Production and release

"Ribs" was written by Lorde (credited under her birth-name Ella Yelich-O'Connor) and Joel Little, with production, engineering, instrumentation and mixing handled by Little.[1] It was recorded at Little's Golden Age Studios in Auckland.[1][2] On 30 September 2013, "Ribs" was issued as a free promotional single via iTunes Stores.[3]

Composition
"Ribs"
A 25 second sample of "Ribs"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Lorde stated the song was inspired by ageing, which she described as "a big stress" of hers,[4] and "this big party I had when my parents went away".[5] "Ribs" was written on the day of the January 2013 Auckland Laneway Festival.[6][7]

"Ribs" is a deep house-influenced electronica[8] and electropop song which starts ambiently and,[9][10] according to Jason Lipshutz of Billboard, features an "exhausted-sounding Lorde growing more frantic with each passing second", with lyrics that include the singer discovering her maturity and "grown-up problems". In "Ribs", she references the Broken Social Scene song "Lover's Spit".[11]

Live performances

Lorde first performed "Ribs" and "400 Lux" at the Greenwich Village club Le Poisson Rouge.[12] Lorde performed the song on 7 September 2013 at the Vector Arena during a free concert with 5000 seats.[13][14] On 24 September 2013, she performed the track at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California.[15] On 3 October 2013, Lorde held a concert at the Warsaw in Brooklyn and performed the song among other tracks from the album.[16] On 26 November 2013, Lorde performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, backed by a drummer and a keyboard player.[5] Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth remixed the track and released it under the subtitle "Let's Have a Sleepover Version".[17]

Reception

Mike Wass of Idolator praised the song's "vulnerability" and called it an "obtuse offering".[18] Lindsay Zoladz of Pitchfork Media opined that "Ribs" was the best song Lorde had written so far, particularly lyrically.[19]

"Ribs" peaked at numbers 36 and 92 on the Australian and UK streaming charts respectively,[20][21] and also reached number twenty-nine on the New Zealand singles chart.[22] The single also charted on the United States Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.[23]

Track listing

Digital download[3]
  1. "Ribs" – 4:18

Charts

Chart (2013–14) Peak
position
Australian Streaming Tracks (ARIA)[20] 36
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 29
UK Streaming (Official Streaming Chart)[21] 92
scope="row" US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[23] 26

References

  1. 1 2 Pure Heroine (inlay cover). Lorde. Universal Music Group. 2013.
  2. ↑ Jenkin, Lydia (19 September 2013). "Joel Little: Doing the Lorde's work". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Ribs – Single". United States: iTunes Store. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Lorde Opens Up About 'Ribs'". MTV News. Viacom. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 Grow, Kory (13 November 2013). "Lorde Is Blissful During Six-Song 'Live on Letterman' Set". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Tunstall, Kashka (30 January 2014). "Lorde celebrates success with 'first fans'". Stuff.co.nz (Fairfax New Zealand). Archived from the original on 29 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "St Jerome's Laneway Festival 2013 – Artist Announcement" (Press release). Laneway Festival. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Renowned for Sound - Album Review: Lorde – Pure Heroine". Renowned for Sound. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Beasley, Corey (4 February 2014). "Lorde: Pure Heroine". Cokemachineglow.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Murphy, John (24 October 2013). "Lorde – Pure Heroine". musicOMH. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  11. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (25 September 2013). "Lorde, 'Pure Heroine': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Graham, Mark (20 September 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Lorde 'Freaks Out' About The Aging Process On 'Ribs'". VH1. Viacom. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  13. ↑ Schulz, Chris (8 September 2013). "Concert review: Lorde, Vector Arena". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  14. ↑ Yates, Siena (8 September 2013). "Lorde has the power". Stuff.co.nz (Fairfax New Zealand). Archived from the original on 16 February 2014.
  15. ↑ Wass, Mike (2013-09-25). "Lorde Reigns Supreme At The Fonda Theater In Los Angeles: Live Review". Idolator. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  16. ↑ Kamer, Foster (2013-10-04). "Live Review: Lorde Brings Brooklyn More Than a Chart-Topper". Complex. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  17. ↑ Hemsworth, Ryan. "Ribs (Let's Have A Sleepover Version)". Soundcloud. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Lorde’s ‘Pure Heroine’: Album Review | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com". idolator.com. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  19. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (3 October 2013). "Lorde: Pure Heroine". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  20. 1 2 "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  21. 1 2 Lane, Daniel (5 November 2013). "OneRepublic's Counting Stars is STILL the UK's most listened to track". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  22. 1 2 "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  23. 1 2 "Lorde – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Lorde. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
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