Sky Ferreira's musical career began with a series of false starts. Beginning as a 15 year old with a Myspace Music account, Ferreira had soon been discovered and sucked into the whirlwind of the mainstream music industry. However, by the end of her teenage years, she'd been through several makeovers while seeing very little music released. Fortunately, her successful modeling career, jumpstarted while she was still fighting with A&R execs, gave her the stability and public profile necessary for her to demand and get creative control of her sound. Her determination paid off last year with the release of "Everything Is Embarrassing," a darkly beautiful electro-pop song featuring a moody black and white video that grabbed the attention of both high-profile critics and excitedfans ontumblr. Pitchfork readers selected the song as one of their best of the year, and the Vevo video has nearly 1.4 million views. If you haven't seen it yet, you should really watch it now (and if you have seen it, you know you want to watch it again):
"Everything Is Embarrassing" displayed what Ferreira was capable of, but the EP from which it was taken, Ghost, was rather uneven, with several different styles represented within the space of 5 songs. Whether Ferreira could completely deliver on her potential was unknown for a while, and the fact that it took a year for her debut full length to finally materialize gave rise to some doubts (especially after she was implicated in a high profile drug bust, for which her boyfriend, Zachary Cole Smith of Nirvana-worshipping alt-rock group DIIV, ultimately fell on his sword).
When Night Time, My Time was released a few days before Halloween, its flesh-baring Gaspar Noe cover shot (link NSFW) shocked some, but seemed somewhat appropriate in light of the dark side Ferreira's music clearly exhibited. Unlike Ghost, Night Time, My Time shows a clear aesthetic unity of purpose, with "Everything Is Embarrassing"'s dark pop mood stretched over the running time of a full album. Tracks like "Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)" and "I Blame Myself" restate "Embarrassing"'s willingness to touch on more personal subjects than the typical teen-love narratives one might expect from a fresh-out-of-adolescence with pre-existing fame from non-musical pursuits (no dis to Ariana Grande, whose new album is pretty great too). "Heavy Metal Heart" shows the influence of Garbage's alt-electronic sound, while the closing title track recalls elements of Fiona Apple or Cat Power. First single "You're Not The One" has the same moody retro-pop appeal found in the Drive soundtrack, with some up-to-the-minute indie-rock guitars thrown in to boot. Check out that song's video here:
With that video online for only a month compared to over a year for "Everything Is Embarrassing," it's impressive to note that "You're Not The One" already has over a million views. Meanwhile, Stereogum's Tom Breihan calls Night Time, My Time"one of 2013's best albums," and Pitchfork reviewer Carrie Battan says it's "one of the most pleasingly conventional and cohesive pieces of pop-rock to come along this year." So once again, critics and fans are in alignment--and with Ferreira on tour now, you'll have the opportunity to see just what everyone is so hyped about, up close and personal. Ferreira hits the 9:30 Club, accompanied by indie-rockers the Smith Westerns, a week from today, and you owe it to yourself to be there. Here are the details:
WHAT:Sky Ferreira Makes Night Time Her Time at The 9:30 Club!
WHO:Sky Ferreira, The Smith Westerns
WHERE:9:30 Club, 815 V St NW, Washington DC
WHEN: Monday, November 18, Doors open at 7 PM
ADMISSION: $20 in advance--to order tickets, click HERE
And if you're feeling a little short on cash, fear not, friends, because RVA Magazine has got the hookup! We're giving away two tickets to Sky Ferreira's show at the 9:30 Club, and you could be the reader who scores them for yourself--just enter your info into the Punchtab widget below, and keep an eye out for extra chances to win! Giveaway ends Thursday at 5 PM, so sign up now!