Skinny Love

"Skinny Love" is a song written by American musician and songwriter Justin Vernon. It was originally released by the indie folk band Bon Iver, of which Vernon is a member, in 2007. A cover version by the British vocalist Birdy was released in 2011. Both versions charted internationally and have been featured in multiple television and film soundtracks. The song has since become a popular tune for various singing competition shows around the anglophone world.[1]

"Skinny Love"
Single by Bon Iver
from the album For Emma, Forever Ago
Released28 April 2008 (2008-04-28)
RecordedNovember 2006 – February 2007
GenreIndie folk
Length3:58
Label
Songwriter(s)Justin Vernon
Bon Iver singles chronology
"Skinny Love"
(2008)		 "For Emma"
(2008)

Background

"Skinny Love" was the first single released from Bon Iver's 2007 début album For Emma, Forever Ago in America. The song was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2008. While "Skinny Love" has been considered a reference to singer Justin Vernon's relationship with former girlfriend Christy Smith,[2] Vernon countered this as "not entirely accurate [...] it's about that time in a relationship that I was going through; you're in a relationship because you need help, but that's not necessarily why you should be in a relationship. And that's skinny."[3]

The song was used in the second episode of Grey's Anatomy's fifth season. The digital download track "Skinny Love" was selected to be iTunes (UK) single of the week and was available for free during that time, as well as being featured as the track of the day on National Public Radio. On 6 October 2008, "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC series Chuck (season 2, episode 3).[4][5] On 11 December 2008, Bon Iver performed "Skinny Love" on the Late Show with David Letterman.[6] On 26 January 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #21 by the Australian national radio station Triple J in the annual Hottest 100 countdown of the previous year's best songs.[7] In July 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at #92 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown.[8] In June 2013, "Skinny Love" was announced at #16 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of the Last 20 Years countdown.[9]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Skinny Love"3:59

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Gold 400,000
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Birdy version
"Skinny Love"
Single by Birdy
from the album Birdy
Released30 January 2011 (2011-01-30)
Recorded2010
GenrePiano ballad
Length3:22
Label
Songwriter(s)Justin Vernon
Producer(s)Alex H. N. Gilbert
Birdy singles chronology
"Skinny Love"
(2011)		 "Shelter"
(2011)

British musician Birdy released a cover version of the song in 2011 as her debut single. The single has been B-listed on Xfm and is a particular favourite with listeners of Shak's overnight show. The song was also chosen as "Record of The Week"[15] by UK radio DJ Fearne Cotton. This version was used in Season 2 Episode 21 of The Vampire Diaries and in Season 1 Episode 1 of Prisoners' Wives.

The song also skyrocketed in Australian popularity within the ARIA Charts' top ten, partly because of Bella Ferraro, an X Factor 2012 Top Four contestant who performed the song at the X Factor auditions aired in Australia in August 2012. The song reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart in September, kept off the number-one spot by Guy Sebastian's song "Battle Scars" for three weeks.[16] A similar event took place in New Zealand in May 2013 after X Factor winner Jackie Thomas performed the song at her audition. The song entered the top 40 for the first time and reached number two on the RIANZ chart following the broadcast, behind Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines".[17]

In 2011, "Skinny Love" sold 259,000 copies in the UK, becoming the third biggest selling rock single of that year.[18] As of August 2016, the song had sold 744,502 copies in the UK.[19]

Birdy's version of the song was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on 11 February 2014.[20]

Music videos

There are three music videos for this single. The first music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on 1 April 2011.[21] It features Birdy playing the piano of walking in a dark house. The second music video was shot in one take and framed on Birdy's face. The camera changes focus as she sings. It was uploaded on 14 October 2011.[22] The third music video was uploaded on 15 January 2014.[23]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Skinny Love"3:22

Charts

Decade-end charts
Chart (2010–2019) Position
Australia (ARIA)[58] 51

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] 7× Platinum 490,000
Belgium (BEA)[60] Platinum 30,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Gold 40,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[62] Platinum 90,000
France (SNEP)[63] Platinum 150,000*
Italy (FIMI)[64] Platinum 50,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[65] 2× Platinum 30,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[66] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] 2× Platinum 744,502[19]
United States (RIAA)[68] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom 30 January 2011[69] Digital download Atlantic Records

References
  1. Clayton, Richard (27 May 2016). "The Life of a Song: 'Skinny Love'". www.ft.com. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. Grayson Haver Currin (27 July 2011). "Bon Iver's long wager". Indy Week. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. Grayson Currin (13 June 2011). "Interviews: Bon Iver". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185873/soundtrack
  5. "BON IVER: Anywhere From Here". Volume One magazine. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009.
  6. Letterman, David; indiemusicfilter. "The Late Show Musical Guest Bon Iver 12/11/08 HQ Video". Vodpod.com. Late Show with David Letterman. Archived from the original (video) on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  7. "Kings of Leon top Triple J's Hottest 100". The Courier-Mail. 25 January 2009.
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  14. "American single certifications – Bon Iver – Skinny Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 3 January 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  15. River Studios News, 2011 Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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  64. "Italian single certifications – Birdy – Skinny Love" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 17 May 2017. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Skinny Love" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
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  67. "British single certifications – Birdy – Skinny Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 November 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Skinny Love in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  68. "American single certifications – Birdy – Skinny Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 October 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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