Liability (song)

"Liability"
Promotional single by Lorde
from the album Melodrama
Released 10 March 2017
Genre Pop
Length 2:54
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff

"Liability" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, from her second studio album Melodrama (2017). Lorde co-wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff. It was released on 10 March 2017, by Republic Records as the album's first promotional single. Sonically, "Liability" served as a dramatic shift from the singer's lead single "Green Light", which was released a week prior. It is a pop piano ballad, which is accompanied with organs and guitar strums in the background. The lyrics detail the consequences and effects from the scrutiny Lorde's friends received from the media as a result of her new-found fame and learning how to live comfortably with herself.

Reviewers praised the song's lyrical content and Lorde's vocal delivery. Lorde revealed that she was inspired to write "Liability" after an emotional cab ride while she listened to Rihanna's song "Higher" from her 2016 album Anti. The song had minor chart placements in the United States and the United Kingdom, placing at 78 and 84, respectively. The track centers around the themes of loneliness, self-love and consequences of fame from Lorde's perspective. She performed "Liability" for the first time at Saturday Night Live in New York and at Coachella Valley Music Festival in California. It is currently part of the set list of her ongoing Melodrama World Tour (2017-2018).

Background and development

Rihanna performing on-stage in a red crop top and a dress of the same color below her waist
Lorde credits Rihanna's "Higher" as inspiration for writing "Liability"

Lorde revealed to a crowd at a secret iHeartRadio concert she held in Los Angeles that "Liability" was inspired after a night she became "so overcome with anger and emotion". She walked about 8 to 10 kilometers (around five to six miles) before ordering an Uber to take her home. The singer stated that she cried as she listened to Rihanna's song "Higher" from her 2016 album Anti because she felt a specific feeling of "being 'too much' for somebody." In her words, it was a "strange feeling" to feel that she was "taking up too much space."[1][2] In an exclusive podcast interview with The Spinoff, she confessed that this track was the first ballad she ever recorded and was different from her work on Pure Heroine (2013).[3] She stated that the chords of the song felt "classic" to her as one could sing a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or a Don Henley song over them. Lorde described the writing process of "Liability" as "therapeutic" as she felt that she said everything about herself that could hurt her "coming from other people". In her words, she wrote the "script to the worst possible outcome." She revealed that one line in the second verse was changed from "Every summer dream is eating me alive in the end" to "Every perfect summer's eating me alive until you're gone".[3] Lorde elaborated more on the meaning behind this specific line, stating that she used the word "summer" as a metaphor for youth.

Lorde confessed that she rejected the song after first writing it. "Liability" was intended to be a rap skit. The singer said she wanted to find a "fancy sound designer" to put the listener in a party. In there, she wanted to evoke the feeling of her walking away from said party down a hall, find a room, shut the door and then deliver a verse and chorus of the song. She also intended to have dialogue within "Liability", with someone calling her name and Lorde walking out of the room as the listener stays inside waiting for the next song to play. She contemplated changing the framing of the track but refrained from doing so.[3] She stated that as particular lines of the song fall, the listener becomes a part of the group that leaves in her mind. The singer expressed that she felt the presence of herself alone in a room that the listener was not in because that individual was bored of her. Usually in a song, she recalls, one stays in the room "with the narrator" and noted that she liked the feeling of camaraderie from it. Lorde revealed that in the track, there was a specific note that was "deliberately missing", meant to feel like taking a breath or as if one would skip a step downstairs. She recalls spending a couple of days in Waiheke to write this song.[3]

Recording and composition

Lorde recorded "Liability" in three different locations across the United States. She started recording the song at Electric Lady Studios, in New York, with Jack Antonoff and assistance from Barry McCready and Eric Eylands in engineering. Both Lorde and Antonoff both worked at Rough Customer Studio, in Brooklyn Heights, New York, a joint publishing venture between Sony/ATV and Antonoff. Recording concluded at Conway Recording Studios, in Los Angeles, California. Tom Elmhirst mixed the song at Electric Lady Studios, with assistance from Brandon Bost and Joe Visciano. Laura Sisk served as the sound engineer. It was published under the licenses of Songs Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Ducky Donath Music, EMI Blackwood Music Inc., Wolf Cousins and Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia.[4]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Liability" is composed in the key of D-flat major and in the common time signature. The song moves at a moderately slow tempo of 72 beats per minute, and Lorde's vocals span a range of C3–A♭4.[5] It is described by critics as a pop piano ballad,[6] with guitar strums and organs in the background.[7][6] Pitchfork editor Quinn Moreland opined that the song had an "unidentified mumbling male voice at the beginning, a solitary piano, and a brief glimmer of organ."[7] Patrick D. McDermott from The Fader described "Liability" as having the "folksy unease of mid-career Bright Eyes."[8] Time called it a "stripped-down" track, with a haunting piano melody that accompanies the singer's voice, which was labelled as husky.[9] Its lyrics reveal the consequences of Lorde's rise to fame, in the lines, "The truth is, I am a toy / That people enjoy / Until all of the tricks don't work anymore / And then they are bored of me."[10]

Reception

"Liability" received critical acclaim from music critics, with many commending the song's lyrical content, Lorde's vocal delivery, and was called one of the stand out tracks on the record.[11] Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone described the song as a "short but poignant song that finds Lorde grappling with fame and how it can change friendships and relationships." Blistein also praised Lorde's "[dexterous] vocal performance".[10] In a review by Billboard writer Andrew Unterberger commended its lyrics and Lorde's delivery, calling the song "an absolute jaw-dropper." Unterberger listed seven reasons he felt the song was a "stunner" which included its "six seconds of silence" at the beginning and Lorde's shift in narrative from her debut record.[12] Spin editor Anna Gaca praised Lorde for turning the track into a "poetic meditation on the perils of intimacy". The publication called the imagery of "Lorde home alone, slow dancing on her own" as one of the album’s most beautiful.[13] Pitchfork expressed that the song was a "powerful counterpart to "Green Light" that shows how intensely Lorde peers into herself on her second record."[7]

The song was released along with the pre-order of Melodrama on digital download sites.[14] In the United States, "Liability" debuted at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. It charted on Digital Songs Sales at number 27 (27,000 first-week downloads sold in the week ending March 16), while adding 4.7 million U.S. streams.[15] The song had minor chart placements in the United Kingdom and France, debuting at number 84 and 52, respectively. A writer from The New Zealand Herald commented that "Liability" would most likely not receive much airplay from radio stations as it was not "released as an official single," noting that commercial radio rarely "picks up or playlists deep album cuts."[14] Despite this, "Liability" managed to debut at number eight in the singer's native country, earning Lorde her ninth top 10 entry in New Zealand.[16] Conversely, the song debuted within the mid-tier in Australia and Canada, placing at number 42 and 62, respectively.[17][18] The song was ranked the 81st greatest song of 2017 by Australian alternative music station Triple J.[19]

Live performances and usage in media

Tove Styrke posing in a black and white promotional shoot.
Tove Styrke released a "heavy electro-pop" version of the song, titled "Liability (Demo)"[20]

Lorde performed "Liability" for the first time on Saturday Night Live. She sang the song with Antonoff, next to a piano while wearing a white bridal veil. Both Lorde and Antonoff brought several pieces to place on the piano to feel like when they initially wrote the song. Several of the pieces included a set of candles, Lorrie Moore's short story collection Self-Help (1985) and a framed picture of Swedish singer Robyn.[21] Rolling Stone called it a "sparse, understated rendition."[22] In a review for the episode, Chris White from Paste praised Lorde's performance, expressing how it was "staged beautifully, executed flawlessly and perfectly scaled" for the small stage setting. White also stated that the singer may be "remembered as the best musical performance" of the show's season.[23] Vish Khanna from Exclaim describe the performance as "artfully shot," with a piano accompaniment from Antonoff to back a "raw, emotional vocal" which was compared to Patti Smith and Paul Westerberg.[24]

"Liability" was also performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England. Lorde confessed to the crowd that the song's inspiration came from the "bottomless pit of misery that comes from knowing you're a massive loser." The Telegraph called it a "beautiful confession" and one that "demonstrated the purity of her flawless vocals."[25] She also performed the track at the ARIA Music Awards while sitting alone in a dim corner with lights peeking through a "wall of blinds."[26] Lorde performed the song at the 2017 Coachella festival in "a glass box." Before she introduced the song, she briefly sang Kanye West’s single "Runaway" (2010).[27] Tove Styrke, an opening act on Lorde's Melodrama World Tour, released a demo of the track on streaming services on 14 December 2017. It was well-received by critics who commended its "bouncy pop" twist.[28][29][30] Styrke released a music video of her cover, filmed in a "deserted studio, decorated with fluorescent lights, [and Styrke] sprawled across the ground."[20] The song is heard at the end of the Quantico episode "Global Reach".[31]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Melodrama.[4]

Recording and management

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[32] 42
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33] 62
France (SNEP)[34] 54
Ireland (IRMA)[35] 74
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 8
Russia Airplay (Tophit)[37] 333
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[38] 84
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 78

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[40] Gold 40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[41] Gold 15,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Lang, Cady (31 August 2017). "Lorde Says Rihanna Inspired One of the Most Emotional Tracks on Her Latest Album". Time. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  2. ↑ Shaffer, Claire (24 June 2017). "The Influences on Lorde's 'Melodrama': Frank Ocean, Robyn, Bowie and 10 Other Artists Who Shaped Its Sound". Newsweek. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Henry (19 June 2017). "The Spinoff Exclusive: Lorde explains the backstory behind every song on her new album". The Spinoff. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 Melodrama (Media notes). Lorde. Lava Records / Republic Records. 2017.
  5. ↑ "Lorde "Liability" Sheet Music in Db Major (transposable)". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 Unterberger, Andrew (26 March 2017). "Seven Reasons Lorde's New Ballad 'Liability' is a Stunner". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Moreland, Quinn (10 March 2017). ""Liability" by Lorde Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Cliff, Aimee; Myers, Owen; Tanzer, Myles; D. McDermott, Patrick (16 June 2017). "In A World Of Playlists, Lorde's Melodrama Commands Your Attention". The Fader. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Bruner, Raisa (9 March 2017). "Listen to Lorde's Stripped-Down New Ballad 'Liability'". Time. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 Blistein, Jon (9 March 2017). "Lorde Unveils 'Melodrama' Release Date With Moving New Song 'Liability'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  11. ↑ McDermott, Maeve (20 June 2017). "Lorde's 'Melodrama' is 2017's best pop album so far". USA Today. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  12. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (9 March 2017). "Seven Reasons Lorde's New Ballad 'Liability' Is a Stunner". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  13. ↑ Gaca, Anna (16 June 2017). "Review: Lorde Is a Visionary in the Dark on Melodrama". Spin. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  14. 1 2 The New Zealand Herald Staff (10 March 2017). "Why you won't hear Lorde's new song Liability on the radio". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Trust, Gary (22 March 2017). "Hot 100 Chart Moves: Adele Adds Another Radio Songs Top 10 & Lorde Debuts". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  16. ↑ "Lorde - Liability". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "Lorde - Liability". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  18. ↑ "Canadian Music: Top 100 Songs Chart". Billboard. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  19. ↑ "Humble winner: Kendrick Lamar's hit single tops the hottest 100". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  20. 1 2 McNeilage, Ross (10 January 2018). "Tove Styrke Releases Video For Lorde's 'Liability' Cover". MTV UK. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  21. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (12 March 2017). "Lorde Performs "Liability" in a Wedding Dress on "SNL": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  22. ↑ Kreps, Michael (12 March 2017). "See Lorde Unleash Spirited 'Melodrama' Songs on 'SNL'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  23. ↑ White, Chris (12 March 2017). "Saturday Night Live Review: "Scarlett Johansson/Lorde"". Paste. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  24. ↑ Khanna, Vish (11 March 2017). "Saturday Night Live: Scarlett Johansson & Lorde". Exclaim. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Vincent, Alice (23 June 2017). "Lorde makes a bold and brilliant Glastonbury debut - review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  26. ↑ Schatz, Lake (28 November 2017). "Lorde delivers showstopping performance of "Liability" and "Green Light" at 2017 ARIA Awards: Watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  27. ↑ Minsker, Evan; Monroe, Jazz (17 April 2017). "Coachella 2017: Watch Lorde Perform "Green Light," "Liability," More". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  28. ↑ Howard, Lindsay (14 September 2017). "Listen to Tove Styrke's Beaming Cover of Lorde's 'Liability'". Variance. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  29. ↑ Wass, Mike (14 September 2017). "Tove Styrke Delivers A Sublime Cover Of Lorde's "Liability"". Idolator. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  30. ↑ Kent, Matthew (14 December 2017). "Tove Styrke works her magic on Lorde's "Liability"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  31. ↑ Li, Shirley (2 May 2017). "'Quantico': Can Alex Stop the Collaborators After President Haas' Resignation?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  32. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Lorde – Liability". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  33. ↑ "Lorde Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  34. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 11, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  35. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  36. ↑ "Charts.nz – Lorde – Liability". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  37. ↑ "Chart Search". Tophit: Liability – Lorde. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  38. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  39. ↑ "Lorde Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  40. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Lorde – Liability". Music Canada. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  41. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Lorde – Liability". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
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