Night Time, My Time

Background and development

After releasing the tracks "17", "One", and "Obsession", Ferreira announced that her debut studio album would be released on January 11, 2011. However, Ferreira's budget was dramatically reduced which led to the cancellation of the record; such release was substituted with the extended play (EP) As If!, which was released on March 22, 2011. In November 2011, Ferreira announced that her debut studio album would be released in 2012, with a lead single planned to precede its release that February. The following month, she revealed that she was currently in the studio, working in her debut album with Jon Brion throughout 2012, and "possibly" with Shirley Manson and Greg Kurstin. In early 2012, Ferreira renamed the LP Wild at Heart, and confirmed "24 Hours" and "Swamp Girl" would be included in it. Another song, entitled "Lost in My Bedroom", surfaced online that March. After releasing the music video for the track "Red Lips" in June, she stated that she had renamed the record once again, changing its title to I'm Not Alright. The album was also briefly referred to as I Will.

Ferreira began working with Ariel Rechtshaid, whom she contacted and met after Rechtshaid had heard "One" and subsequently "liked" Ferreira's Facebook page. After her single "Everything Is Embarrassing" unexpectedly became popular on indie-oriented music blogs, Ferreira released another EP, Ghost, on October 16, 2012. In early 2013, Ferreira intended to release an album composed of a mixture of tracks she had written and recorded with Brion and those she had written and recorded with Rechtshaid. After the album experienced more delays, Ferreira decided to keep recording with Rechtshaid and co-producer Justin Raisen in order to make the album more cohesive in sound, dropping the Brion-produced tracks from the record. After her record label refused to fund the album's recording sessions any further, Ferreira did so herself, with money she had earned from her modeling career to cover the costs of recording and equipment for these sessions. A majority of the album's content was completely recorded, mixed, and mastered in just a few weeks during August 2013. On August 29, 2013, Ferreira posted a photograph on her Facebook page indicating that the record was complete.

Composition

Musically, Night Time, My Time explores different musical styles of those heard on Ferreira's second EP Ghost (2012). While the latter had a more "relaxed" sonic atmosphere—incorporating electropop, synthpop and acoustic styles—the full length approaches 1980s pop and 1990s grunge, while also drawing inspiration from 1970s art rock and 1980s psychedelic rock. The songs occasionally include guitars and "hard-hitting", as on "I Will" and "You're Not the One"; however, the album incorporates diverse music genres, including new wave on "Love in Stereo" and "24 Hours", and ska on "Kristine". Amongst other elements in the album's songs, are arcade game samples. The atmosphere of the album was said to evoke records of Best Coast, Garbage, and Siouxsie and the Banshees with "distorted tracks".

Ferreira, who mostly sings in a low register, explores a multitude of lyrical themes. A prominent one is failure, provoqued by record label manipulation and oppression. Ferreira stated that the record was her try at getting the listeners to "know [her]", and further said that in the record, she felt like herself and that she had control over such lyricism. However, another scope of themes is present on the record, such as love and inconstant relationships and feminism. Her personality is reflected through a ray of states of spirit—frustration and anger are contrasted with vulnerability, "redemption" and self-confidence. "Night Time, My Time" was named after lines spoken by Laura Palmer in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992).

Release and artwork

The artwork for Night Time, My Time was photographed by Argentine director Gaspar Noé at Hotel Amour in Paris, and was unveiled by Ferreira on October 10, 2013. It depicts the close-up of a topless Ferreira, whose left breast is exposed and is wearing a cross necklace, inside of a green-tiled shower. She originally considered using another picture for the album artwork, and was additionally encouraged by Capitol Records to choose an older photograph where she was seen with "long blonde hair [...] sitting on a bed looking cute [...] in a black dress looking pretty". Ferreira ultimately selected the topless image because she felt it more accurately reflected the nature of the record.

Night Time, My Time was released as a digital download through the iTunes Store in the United States on October 29, 2013, where it was exclusively available until November 5, 2013. It was additionally made available for pre-order on CD and LP formats, although Ferreira publicly criticized Capitol Records when they were unavailable for its initial release and announced that she would self-fund the creation of vinyl versions. Following the launch of her third extended play Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1 in November, her MyPlayDirect store began selling bundles that included a green translucent vinyl pressing, a compact disc, a digital download, and a poster of the album artwork. Ferreira announced that the pre-ordered copies of Night Time, My Time were shipped on November 27, while Capitol Records released their own vinyl versions of the record on January 28, 2014. A limited edition that included Ferreira's second extended play Ghost (2012) was also released.

Promotion

"You're Not the One" was serviced as Night Time, My Time's lead single on September 24, 2013. Its music video, paying visual homage to 1983 film The Hunger and set in a high-fashion nightclub, was released on the same day. On November 25, 2013, Ferreira appeared on the program Late Show with David Letterman, where she performed the single. "24 Hours" was released as a free promotional single on the same day of the album's release. A music video for the album's title track, directed by Grant Singer and released on November 27, 2013, sees Ferreira wearing a variety of wigs and lingerie. Natasha Stagg of V wrote that, in the video, Ferreira "embraces the title she's been deemed by dressing in provocatively infantile accessories" and "cleverly [delivers] the junkie role back in her detractors' faces." Consequence of Sound named the video among the best of 2013. Though not a single, on December 19, 2014, "Omanko" received a music video, directed by Ferreira's then-boyfriend, DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith, consisting of "silly homemade videos of Ferreira spliced with footage of her onstage performances" in a lo-fi quality. The video was later taken off of YouTube by a copyright claim from Universal Music Group.

Prior to the album release, US tour dates featuring Ferreira alongside Vampire Weekend and Smith Westerns were revealed. Due to a vocal injury, Ferreira canceled the tour with three shows remaining. On November 25, 2013, a live concert with Ferreira was held at Rough Trade New York, followed by a signing session. The attendance could purchase the original LP along with its Night Time, My Time: B-sides Part I EP. In addition to serving as an opening act for several dates of Miley Cyrus's worldwide Bangerz Tour, Ferreira also promoted the record at one-off headlining shows and festival appearances throughout 2014, punctuated by a five-date run of West Coast shows in November.

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Night Time, My Time received an average score of 79, based on 30 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Writing for AllMusic, Heather Phares complimented the record for being "consistently good", and elaborated that Ferreira successfully blended "her teen pop past with her current interest in indie rock in surprising, creative, and always catchy ways". Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club commented that it seemed "like the first release on which Ferreira is truly engaged with the music she's creating", and placed particular praise towards her success in "portraying [herself] as a complex person who's successfully discovered her own voice." Lauren Martin from Fact appreciated that Ferreira "[tells] personal tales of familiar issues of love, heartbreak and identity in refreshed and engaging ways", which she elaborated was her personal "highlight" from the record. Carrie Battan from Pitchfork Media stated that Night Time, My Time was "one of the most pleasingly conventional and cohesive pieces of pop-rock to come along this year" for integrating "80s pop sparkle and full-bodied 90s grunge in a streamlined way."

Writing for PopMatters, Elias Leight felt that the fact that Night Time, My Time "[came] out half a lifetime after she started trying to make music" exemplified a "survive and stay" philosophy; he suggested that said dedication would provide Ferreira with career longevity. Kevin Leidel from Slant Magazine commented that the record had the potential of becoming the "gaunt, darkly painted neurosis" that would successfully "combat popular music's deluge of silly and crude self-affirmations." Jordan Sargent from Spin enjoyed seeing Ferreira confidently and comfortably "reveling in the swirling cacophony that is her sound and her life." Referencing its frequent delays, Lavanya Ramanthan from The Washington Post opined that Night Time, My Time "[normalized] the singer" and "might even have listeners rooting for her." However, Stacey Anderson from Rolling Stone offered a more mixed review of Night Time, My Time; she criticized it for "[sounding] like a soundtrack for The Breakfast Club remake playing in her head." Samuel Tolzmann from the Pretty Much Amazing felt that the quality of the record dropped off from "Omanko" through the remainder of the album. Benji Taylor of Clash called the album "cheap theatrics masquerading as inspired art".

Accolades

Several media publications recognized Night Time, My Time as one of the best albums of 2013. The staff from Idolator listed the record as their favorite record of the year, writing that the project "is not only a defining (long awaited) first statement, but a defying, perfectly imperfect middle finger in the air." It was additionally placed as the second best album by Dazed and Fact, and the sixth best record by The New York Times and Stereogum. The staff from Popjustice ranked Night Time, My Time as the ninth best album of 2013, simply commenting that "she did it." Pitchfork Media described the project as "blown-speaker, smeared-lipstick pop—would-be radio hits with that last topcoat of paint left incomplete", and acknowledged it as the 15th best record. Rolling Stone, Complex, and The Guardian respectively placed the album as the 21st, 25th, and 27th best record of 2013. Consequence of Sound listed Night Time, My Time as the forty-ninth best album of the year, adding that "if teens are digging Night Time, My Time, they’re only a few steps removed from Suicide, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Blondie." Although its rank was not specified, NPR and The New Yorker recognized the record as among the best of the year.

In 2014, Pitchfork Media and Fact both named the album among the 100 best of the decade up to that point.

Commercial performance

Night Time, My Time debuted at number 45 on the US Billboard 200, on the strength of digital downloads from its exclusive first-week release through the iTunes Store. In doing so, it became her highest-charting record in the country; by comparison, her second extended play Ghost (2012) reached number eight on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. As of November 2014, the album had sold 39,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Australia, Night Time, My Time peaked at number 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album debuted at number 73 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 1,337 copies in its first week.

Track listing

All tracks written by Sky Ferreira with co-written by Ariel Rechtshaid and Justin Raisen, except where noted. All songs produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and co-produced by Justin Raisen, except where noted.

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Night Time, My Time.

Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1

Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1 is the third extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira, released on November 25, 2013 by Capitol Records. It includes three previously-unreleased tracks, in addition to the original version and the Unknown Mortal Orchestra remix of her earlier single "Everything Is Embarrassing" from her second extended play Ghost (2012).

Track listing

Notes