You're Not the One

"You're Not the One"
Single by Sky Ferreira
from the album Night Time, My Time
Released September 24, 2013
Format Digital download
Recorded 2013 at Heavy Duty Studios (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length 3:57
Label Capitol
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Rechtshaid
  • Raisen
Sky Ferreira singles chronology
  • "Everything is Embarrassing"
  • (2013)
  • "You're Not the One"
  • (2013)

"You're Not the One" is a song by American recording artist Sky Ferreira from her debut studio album Night Time, My Time (2013). Released on September 24, 2013 by Capitol Records, it served as the album's lead single. The song was written and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Justin Raisen, with additional songwriting provided by Ferreira and Daniel Nigro. It is styled in indie rock and electropop, while its lyrics portray a relationship in which there is not enough mutual interest.

Contemporary music critics provided positive reviews for "You're Not the One", selecting it as a standout from its parent album and highlighting its overall sound. Grant Singer directed a music video for the track, which was released in September 2013. It follows the relationship between Ferreira and a possible love interest, interspersed with shots of her dancing in front of lasers. The song has been performed by Ferreira on several live events, some of which were television shows.

Background

"You're Not the One" was written in 2012, at a time when—according to Ferreira—she "was in a different headspace". "I had been dating someone for three years, since I was 17, and that person guarded me from everything", she said. Ferreira explained that her life was essentially limited to modelling, crafting songs and "watch[ing] TV", which resulted in her not having a "chance to discover [her]self."[1]

The track was recorded in 2013 by Ariel Rechtshaid, at the Heavy Duty Studios in Los Angeles. Rechtshaid and Justin Raisen produced the track, contributed towards its instrumentation and provided background vocals for the song. The two played the keyboard while they were accompanied by Daniel Nigro when playing the electric guitar; Rechtshaid played the bass and Garrett Ray helmed the drums. During post-production, David Schiffman mixed the song and Emily Lazar mastered it.[2]

During a July 2013 interview with Glamour, Ferreira announced that the track would serve as the lead single from an upcoming extended play—which ultimately became her debut album Night Time, My Time.[3] The single cover for "You're Not the One" was revealed on September 9, 2013, and the song itself was released 15 days later, on September 24.[4][5] An official remix of the track by producer Cid Rim was released online in March 2014;[6] a commercial release of that remix, packaged with three others in a digital EP format, followed in June.[7]

Composition

While recording the song, Ferreira was inspired by the works of David Bowie.

"You're Not the One" displays a fusion of pop and indie rock styles while incorporating electropop as well.[8][9] Ferreira stated that she conceptualized the track as a "super-poppy version" of David Bowie's eleventh studio album Low (1977); she was told that the song itself resembles the works of singer-songwriter Siouxsie Sioux.[10] Its instrumentation is marked by the mixture of pounding, "crude" percussion and electric guitar riffs, accompanied with "tinny six-stringer scrapes".[11][12][13] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club described its sonority as having "gothic overtones" and being a "homage" to the "late-80s" works of band The Cure.[14]

The songs' lyrics were written by Ferreira, Rechtshaid, Raisen and Nigro; they depict a relationship in which two love partners do not express sufficient mutual interest, due to the fact that they do not pursue each other.[2][10] The Washington Post '​s Lavanya Ramanathan dubbed the song a "breakup tune" and wrote that in it, Ferreira embodies a teenager with "guy problems".[15] For CMJ, Brooke Segarra billed the track as a "sexually assertive" number and interpreted the song's lyrical theme as listing the "mistakes and shortcomings" that come "with sex".[16] Elias Leight of the PopMatters website wrote that a recurring theme in the album—also represented in "You're Not the One"—is Ferreira's "rejection of the opposite sex".[12]

The song's official remix, produced by Cid Rim, removes the "pop rock" edge of the song in favor of an electronica and hip hop-influenced sound.[6][17] In this version, the verses display handclaps underneath Ferreira's vocals, which are more pitched than in the original and "cut up" as well. Carl Williott of Idolator billed it as "an intriguing listen".[6]

Critical reception

"You're Not the One" received positive feedback from contemporary music critics. Heather Phares of AllMusic selected the song as one of Night Time, My Time '​s stronger tracks, as did Digital Spy's Lewis Corner; the latter elaborated that it "continues the premise that [Ferreira] has finally emerged as an artist who knows what she wants".[11][18] Bryant Kitching from Consequence of Sound deemed it a musical highlight from the album. Comparing the song's guitar-led opening to "Johnny Marr on a sugar rush", he also called it the album's "most rewarding moment".[19] Writing for magazine Spin, Marc Hogan echoed praise for the song—he described it as "impressively catchy and emotionally communicative" and also said it was "the type of track that might inspire a label to green-light—finally—her debut album".[20] musicOMH's Nina Bertok highlighted the song's mixture of genres and catchiness, and also praised the "killer" chorus.[21] The staff of The Guardian listed "You're Not the One" as the eighteenth best track of 2013, whereas Melissa Locker of Time, who made a similar list, included the song as the nineteenth best of that year.[22][23]

Music video

The official music video for "You're Not the One" was directed by Grant Singer, and written and co-produced by V magazine senior editor Patrik Sandberg.[24][25] Ferreira announced plans to shoot a visual for the track in July 2013, and stated that Singer would direct it.[3] According to Singer, the video took nine months to craft; it was originally supposed to be filmed in Berlin so it had a "Christiane F. vibe", however this did not occur due to unknown reasons. Sandberg suggested the twist ending and the use of an ice pick, which he thought should be used as a "narrative tool" instead of just a prop. Singer described the overall video as "sinister and pop".[26] The video was filmed at The Lash, a nightclub in Los Angeles,[27] where Ferreira is seen dancing in front of multicolored lasers.[25][28]

The video begins with Ferreira walking towards a blue projector screen, wearing black sunglasses, a black jacket and a transparent, fishnet-pattern top. Ferreira stops and removes the jacket slowly as a group of voyeurs observes her. During her act, she continuously looks towards a man with shades and long hair, who sips a drink while watching Ferreira. Outside the nightclub, she is seen again with that man—her apparent love interest—as they kiss each other and involve themselves physically. They reencounter in a black room where Ferreira sticks an ice pick on his face; in response, he slaps her, to which she smiles and they start kissing again. After they reenter the nightclub, another man kisses her, while her love interest looks surprised. The latter walks away and finds a woman with whom he starts dancing and kissing, much to Ferreira's sadness. The next morning, she wakes up in a grass field with red marks on her face while holding the ice pick, which is now covered in blood. In a different setting, the man, who is lying on a bed, sees his stomach cut with the word "not", dripping blood as well.[29] Spin '​s Marc Hogan found the video too "focused on Ferreira's model" abilities to "complement the song effectively".[20]

Live performances

Ferreira had already been performing "You're Not the One" before its formal release—at her concert on the last day of the 2013 Pitchfork Music Festival, she sung it as the ninth track of her setlist.[3] After the song's digital release, she promoted it on television shows and radio lounges. On November 26, 2013 she sung the track during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, where she wore "opaque black sunglasses" and a black blazer over a "sheer top".[30] Ferreira, who opened the American leg of Miley Cyrus' Bangerz Tour, included the song in her setlist for those concerts.[31] On February 27, 2014—as she was on an interruption from the tour—Ferreira performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live.[32] Dressed in a leather jacket, shades and with her hair wet, she was praised by Ben Kaye from Consequence of Sound for her "dazzling rendition" of the song.[33][34] "You're Not the One" was later performed on March 12 of that year on a BBC Radio 1 session.[35]

Track listing

Digital download[5]
  1. "You're Not the One" — 3:55
Remixes EP[7]
  1. "You're Not the One" (Little Daylight Remix) — 3:38
  2. "You're Not the One" (Cid Rim Remix) — 4:06
  3. "You're Not the One" (Blood Diamonds Remix) — 3:29
  4. "You're Not the One" (Benny Cassette Mix) — 3:23

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Night Time, My Time.[2]

Recording
Personnel

Release history

Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Canada September 24, 2013 Digital download Single Capitol [36]
United States [5]
Australia December 6, 2013 Polydor [37]
New Zealand [38]
France January 19, 2014 Capitol Music France [39]
United Kingdom Polydor [40]
Canada June 3, 2014 Remixes EP Capitol [41]
United States [7]

References

  1. Fitzmaurice, Larry (October 23, 2013). "Sky Ferreira". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Night Time, My Time (Compact Disc). Sky Ferreira. Capitol. 2013.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Woods, Mickey (July 23, 2013). "Sky Ferreira on Her New Music, Festival Must-Haves, and Pop-Culture Obsessions". Glamour. Condé Nast. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  4. O'Mance, Brad (September 9, 2013). "Sky Ferreira's new single now has some 'cover art'". Popjustice. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "You're Not the One – Sky Ferreira". Amazon.com. September 24, 2013. ASIN B00F14HOXG. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Williott, Carl (March 12, 2014). "Sky Ferreira's "You’re Not The One" Gets Official Remix From Cid Rim: Listen". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "You're Not the One (Remixes) - EP by Sky Ferreira". iTunes Store (US). Apple. June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  8. Abebe, Nitsuh (October 28, 2013). "Sky Ferreira Will Be a Pop Star on Her Own Terms — Or Not At All". Vulture. New York. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  9. Young, Alex (September 24, 2013). "Sky Ferreira shares new single, "You're Not the One", announces tour dates". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Leedham, Robert (April 17, 2013). ""To be fair, I'm a bit jaded" - DiS meets Sky Ferreira". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Phares, Heather. "Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Leight, Elias (November 19, 2013). "Sky Ferreira: Night Time, My Time". PopMatters. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  13. Day, Larry (March 11, 2014). "Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time". musicOMH. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  14. Zaleski, Annie (October 29, 2013). "Sky Ferreira: Night Time, My Time". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  15. Ramanathan, Lavanya (November 14, 2013). "Album review: Sky Ferreira's 'Night Time, My Time'". The Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  16. Segarra, Brooke (October 28, 2013). "Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time". CMJ. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  17. "Stream LuckyMe producer Cid Rim's sparkly remix of Sky Ferreira's 'You're Not the One'". Fact. The Vinyl Factory. March 12, 2014.
  18. Corner, Lewis (March 13, 2014). "Sky Ferreira: Night Time, My Time review". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  19. Kitching, Bryant (October 29, 2013). "Album Review: Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Hogan, Marc (September 24, 2013). "Sky Ferreira's Love Triangle Anthem 'You're Not the One' Transcends Pouty Video". Spin. Spin Media. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  21. Bertok, Nina (March 17, 2014). "Track Of The Day: Sky Ferreira – You’re Not The One". musicOMH. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  22. "The best tracks of 2013: our top 20". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. December 23, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  23. Locker, Melissa (December 19, 2013). "No. 19 ... "You're Not The One," Sky Ferreira". Time. Time. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  24. Breihan, Tom (September 24, 2013). "Sky Ferreira — "You're Not the One" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Sandberg, Patrik. "The Video: You're Not the One". V. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  26. Alexander, Adam (January 30, 2014). "Video Chats: Grant Singer on His Recent Collaborations with Sky Ferreira". IMVDb. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  27. "Sky Ferreira – You're Not the One". The Lash. September 24, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  28. Lipshutz, Jason (September 24, 2013). "Sky Ferreira Returns With 'You're Not The One' Single: Watch Music Video". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  29. Singer, Grant (director) (2013). You're Not the One (music video). Capitol Records.
  30. Lansky, Sam (November 26, 2013). "Sky Ferreira Performs "You're Not The One" On 'David Letterman': Watch". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  31. Rauner, Elizabeth (April 7, 2014). "Miley's Bangerz Tour Rolls, Sparks And Puffs Into New York". NYU Local. New York University. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  32. Minsker, Evan (February 27, 2014). "Watch Sky Ferreira Perform "You're Not the One" on "Kimmel"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  33. Williott, Carl (February 27, 2014). "Watch Sky Ferreira Rip Through "You're Not The One" On 'Kimmel'". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  34. Kaye, Ben (February 27, 2014). "Watch: Sky Ferreira performs on Jimmy Kimmel Live!". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  35. "You’re Not The One (Radio 1 Session, 12 March 2014) – Sky Ferreira". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  36. "You're Not the One – Single by Sky Ferreira". iTunes Store (CA). Apple. September 24, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  37. "You're Not the One (2013)". zdigital (AU). December 6, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  38. "You're Not the One (2013)". 7digital (NZ). December 6, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  39. "You're Not the One". Amazon.fr. January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  40. "You're Not the One". Amazon.co.uk. January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  41. "You're Not the One (Remixes) - EP by Sky Ferreira". iTunes Store (CA). Apple. June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.