As she prepares to release her fifth studio album, Masseduction, this Friday, October 13th, oddball rocker Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, has shared the LP’s first single, “Pills.” The song is part bright and bubbly “Small World After All”-style sing-along, part dark and ominous commentary on prescription drug usage, and full off-kilter St. Vincent in all her idiosyncratic glory. The song’s opening refrain sounds almost like it belongs in a classic Coca Cola commercial–that is, until you register what the lyrics are saying:
“Pills to wake, pills to sleep
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week
Pills to walk, pills to think
Pills, pills, pills for the family
Pills to grow, pills to shrink
Pills, pills, pills and a big stiff drink
Pills to fuck, pills to eat
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink”
Clark worked on the song with fun. singer/producer Jack Antonoff, and it includes vocals from Cara Delevingne and Jenny Lewis, as well as saxophone assistance from from Kamasi Washington, and production by Top Dawg producer Sounwave.
Listen to the first single from St. Vincent’s upcoming 5th album, MASSEDUCTION, below via her YouTube page:
MASSEDUCTION is out this Friday, October 13th. “New York” and “Los Ageless” were the two other teaser tracks released in advance of the album. Over the weekend, St. Vincent previewed her supporting “Fear the Future” tour in Los Angeles, which begins in earnest in the UK next week. Watch the quirky tour announcement video below:
St. Vincent Upcoming “Fear The Future” Tour Dates
10-17 London, England – 02 Academy Brixton
10-18 Manchester, England – 02 Apollo Manchester
10-20 Dublin, Ireland – Olympia Theater
10-23 Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
10-24 Paris, France – Le Trianon
10-26 Berlin, Germany – Huxleys
10-27 Utrecht, Netherlands – Tivolivredenburg
11-14 Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
11-15 Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
11-17 Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
11-18 St. Paul, MN – Palace Theater
11-19 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
11-20 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
11-21 Louisville, KY – Whitney Hall
11-22 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
11-24 Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
11-25 Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
11-27 Washington, DC – The Anthem
11-28 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
11-30 Boston, MA – House of Blues
12-01 Portland, ME – State Theatre
12-02 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
St. Vincent recently performed the two previously-released songs from the upcoming album, “New York” and “Los Ageless,” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. You can watch both performances below:
“New York”
“Los Ageless”
[h/t – Consequence of Sound]