New York (St. Vincent song)

"New York" is a song by the American musician, St. Vincent. "New York" was released on June 30, 2017, through Loma Vista as the lead single off of her fifth studio album, Masseduction.[1]

"New York"
Single by St. Vincent
from the album Masseduction
ReleasedJune 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)
Length2:33
LabelLoma Vista
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jack Antonoff
  • St. Vincent
St. Vincent singles chronology
"Under Neon Lights"
(2015)		 "New York"
(2017)		 "Los Ageless"
(2017)
Music video
"New York" on YouTube

Background

In May 2017, The New York Times wrote that the American producer Jack Antonoff is working on new music with Annie Clark (i.e., St. Vincent).[2] Clark performed the song for the first time in June 2016 during a New York City benefit show.[3]

Composition

"New York" is a sombre ballad mourning the end of a relationship.[4] Unlike Clark's previous material, "New York" does not contain "fiery guitar playing, nor the squelching industrial soundscapes of her great self-titled album from 2014. It's just her voice, and some simple lilting piano chords—that's about it."[5] The song finds Clark "singing without apparent irony about personal loss. The song could also be read as a eulogy for a certain portion of the soul of New York City itself; she sings mostly about locales in the East Village, painting them with a wild romantic streak that exists mostly in the memory of the city's denizens." Andy Cush of Spin described "New York" as, "far more straightforward than we've come to expect from Annie Clark," while also comparing the song to Lorde's "Liability".[6]

Critical reception

"New York" featured as Pitchfork's "Best New Track", with Laura Snapes deeming it "a jarring sentiment from someone who always seems so supremely herself."[7] Spin's Andy Cush explained, "it would be real shame for a talent as wild and idiosyncratic as Clark's to lose its edges in the pop production and songwriting wringer. "New York" is surprisingly benign compared to her recent output, except for one moment, when she spits out a "motherfucker" worthy of Nick Cave in an otherwise lovely chorus. It's enough to reassure you that St. Vincent still has some acid in her."[6] Pitchfork included the song at spot #169 on its "Best Songs of the 2010s" list.[8]

Music video

The music video for "New York" was directed by the visual artist, Alex Da Corte, and it was released on August 31, 2017. The music video features Clark performing the song with "a loud variety of fashion choices" in front of "increasingly lurid and colorful backdrops.".[9][10] In 2018, St. Vincent and Da Corte reunited for another video, as part of Da Corte's exhibition, "C-A-T Spells Murder" at the Karma Gallery in New York City (February 18 - March 18, 2018). The exhibition featured an 11-minute video of St. Vincent holding a one-eyed feline while the performer makes a series of facial expressions ending in terror. The film played on a loop, and was part of an installation which also featured an eleven foot high sculpture of a cat.[11][12]

Official versions
  1. Album/Single Version/Radio Edit - 2:34
  2. Kelly Lee Owens Remix - 4:41
  3. DJDS Version - 3:05
  4. Live at Austin City Limits single version - 2:45
  5. YOSHIKI version - 2:54
  6. Nina Kraviz Vocal Mix - 5:14
  7. Nina Kraviz x Lucy Dubbed Out Mix - 5:23
  8. Nina Kraviz Dirty Master Mix - 5:14
  9. "Words + Music" Audible version - 2:46

Personnel

Credits adapted from Masseduction booklet.[13]

Musicians

Technical

  • Laura Sisk – engineering
  • Jack Antonoff – additional engineering
  • Annie Clark – additional engineering
  • Sean Cook – additional engineering
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing
  • Brandon Boost – mix engineering
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering

Charts
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[14] 32
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 22

References
  1. "New York - Single by St. Vincent on Apple Music". iTunes. June 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  2. Coscarelli, Joe (May 24, 2017). "You May Not Know Jack Antonoff. But You Probably Love His Music". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  3. Reed, Ryan (June 29, 2016). "Watch St. Vincent Debut New Song Wearing Toilet Costume". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  4. Renshaw, David (June 30, 2017). "St. Vincent Shares New Song "New York"". The Fader. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  5. "Review: St. Vincent - "New York"". Spin. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  6. Cush, Andy (June 30, 2017). "Review: St. Vincent - "New York"". Spin. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  7. Snapes, Laura (June 30, 2017). "Review: "New York" Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  8. Nast, Condé. "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  9. Renshaw, David (August 31, 2017). "St. Vincent Shares Bright "New York" Video". The Fader. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  10. Josephs, Brian (August 31, 2017). "Video: St. Vincent – "New York"". Spin. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  11. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/t-magazine/alex-da-corte-st-vincent.html
  12. https://karmakarma.org/exhibitions/alex-da-corte-c-a-t-spells-murder/
  13. Masseduction (booklet). St. Vincent. Loma Vista Recordings. 2017. LVR00226.CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. "Ultratop.be – St. Vincent – New York" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  15. "St. Vincent Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
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