Released 30 September 2013 Genre Electronica
electropop Label UMG | Format Digital download Length 4:18 | |
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Recorded 2013
Golden Age Studios (Auckland) | ||
"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.
Contents
"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. It was recorded at Little's Golden Age Studios in Auckland. On 30 September 2013, "Ribs" was issued as a free promotional single via iTunes Stores.
Composition
Lorde stated the song was inspired by ageing, which she described as "a big stress" of hers, and "this big party I had when my parents went away". "Ribs" was written on the day of the January 2013 Auckland Laneway Festival.
"Ribs" is a deep house-influenced electronica and electropop song which starts ambiently and, 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".
Live performances
Lorde first performed "Ribs" and "400 Lux" at the Greenwich Village club Le Poisson Rouge. Lorde performed the song on 7 September 2013 at the Vector Arena during a free concert with 5000 seats. On 24 September 2013, she performed the track at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. On 3 October 2013, Lorde held a concert at the Warsaw in Brooklyn and performed the song among other tracks from the album. On 26 November 2013, Lorde performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, backed by a drummer and a keyboard player. Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth remixed the track and released it under the subtitle "Let's Have a Sleepover Version".
Reception
Mike Wass of Idolator praised the song's "vulnerability" and called it an "obtuse offering". Lindsay Zoladz of Pitchfork Media opined that "Ribs" was the best song Lorde had written so far, particularly lyrically.
"Ribs" peaked at numbers 36 and 92 on the Australian and UK streaming charts respectively, and also reached number twenty-nine on the New Zealand singles chart. The single also charted on the United States Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
Track listing
- "Ribs" – 4:18