"You Don't Own Me" is a song by indie pop band Pale Waves.
| "You Don't Own Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art for the digital download | ||||
| Single by Pale Waves | ||||
| from the album Who Am I? | ||||
| Released | 29 January 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2020 | |||
| Genre | Pop-punk | |||
| Length |
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| Label | Dirty Hit | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Pale Waves singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "You Don't Own Me" on YouTube | ||||
Music and lyrics
edit"You Don't Own Me" is a pop-punk[1] song that was written by Pale Waves frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie, and the singer-songwriter Sam de Jong; it is played in the key of C♯ minor and at 170 beats per minute.[2][3] Described by Stitched Sound as a "empowering, guitar-heavy release of frustration",[4] "You Don't Own Me" opens with a "gritty chugging guitar" riff that plays over the song's verses.[1] The song then "transition[s] into a punk-pop [chorus] melody, which Avril Lavigne would be proud of".[5]
Lyrically, "You Don't Own Me" is a repudiation of sexism and gender norms. In an interview with NME, Baron-Gracie explained that the track is "about what it’s like to be a woman in this world ... [It discusses] how society depicts, judges and criticises women on a daily basis. ... I also wanted to say a fuck you to everyone that plays by these fake delusional rules that women and gender need to fit inside a specific box."[1] Many of the song's lyrics were inspired by instances of "sexist" and "inappropriate" behaviour directed at Baron-Gracie by men. The feminist ethos of the song is "unapologetic" and "angry" because, as Baron-Gracie put it, "we [i.e., women] are angry; we're sick of it!"[6] Due to its message, Baron-Gracie has cited the track as "the most important on" Who Am I?[6]
Music video
edit
The music video for "You Don't Own Me" was co-directed by Heather Baron-Gracie and her partner, Kelsi Luck. Released on 1 March,[8] the video is "a love letter to early noughties emo and pop-punk";[7] the website Nü Sounds wrote that the visuals of "You Don't Own Me" are a "portal to early 2000s grunge; red hair, graffiti, all the works."[9] The site also likened Baron-Gracie's dress to those worn by Melanie Martinez and called the overall production "a throwback of a lifetime".[9]
Release and reception
edit"You Don't Own Me" was released as the fourth single from Who Am I?, and it debuted on 13 January 2021.[10]
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Who Am I?[2]
Pale Waves
- Heather Baron-Gracie – vocals, guitar
- Ciara Doran – drums, synths, programming
- Hugo Silvani – guitar
- Charlie Wood – bass guitar
Technical
- Rich Costey – production
- Koby Berman – additional production
- Ciara Doran – additional production
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 29 January 2021 | Digital download, streaming | [10] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Skinner, Tom (29 January 2021). "Listen to Pale Waves' gritty new "song for women" 'You Don't Own Me'". NME. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ a b Pale Waves (2021). Who Am I? (Vinyl record liner notes). London, UK: Dirty Hit.
- ^ "Pale Waves – You Don't Own Me". Tunebat. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Pale Waves release new single "You Don't Own Me"". Stitched Sound. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Whitfield, Camilla (16 February 2021). "Single Review of Grunge-Pop Outfit Pale Waves' Empowering Track 'You Don't Own Me' & UK Tour Announcement". aAh! Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ a b Williams, Sophie; Baron-Gracie, Heather (12 February 2021). Pale Waves – 'Who Am I?' | Track By Track. NME. YouTube. Event occurs at 14:03–17:02.
- ^ a b Kapur, Desh (2 March 2021). "Pale Waves 'You Don't Own Me' / Video". All Music Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Pale Waves (1 March 2021). "Pale Waves – You Don't Own Me". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021.
- ^ a b Bennett, Paige (8 March 2021). "Pale Waves release music video for 'You Don't Own Me'". Nü Sound Online. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021.
- ^ a b Skinner, Tom (29 January 2021). "Listen to Pale Waves' Gritty New 'Song for Women' 'You Don't Own Me'". NME. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021.