Ribs (song)

"Ribs" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriterLorde, from her debut studio albumPure Heroine(2013).Universal Music Group(UMG) released it as apromotional singleon 30 September 2013. Written and produced by Lorde andJoel Little, "Ribs" is anelectronica,indietronicaandelectropopsong discussing Lorde's stress over ageing.
Music criticsmet "Ribs" with acclaim; most have praised its lyrical content, and the song has consistently ranked among Lorde's best songs. Commercially, the track appeared onrecord chartsin Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Lorde performed the song on numerous occasions, including on theLate Show with David Letterman, on herPure Heroine Tourin 2014, herMelodrama World Tourin 2017 and 2018, and herSolar Power Tourin 2022 and 2023.
"Ribs" was written by Lorde — credited under her birth-name Ella Yelich-O'Connor — andJoel Littlewho also handled production, engineering, instrumentation and mixing.It was recorded at Little's Golden Age Studios inAuckland, New Zealand.On 30 September 2013,Universal Musicissued "Ribs" as apromotional singleon theiTunes Store.
Lorde said ageing, which she described as "a big stress" of hers,and "this big party I had when my parents went away"inspired her.  "Ribs" was written on the day of the January 2013 AucklandLaneway Festival.
"Ribs" is composed in the key ofE majorwith atempoof 128beats per minute.Lorde's vocals span a range of B2to G♯5and itschord progressionfollows a sequence of A–E–F♯m7–C♯m7."Ribs" is adeep house-influencedelectronica,indietronica, andelectropopsong,which startsambientlyand,according to Jason Lipshutz ofBillboard, features an "exhausted-sounding Lorde growing more frantic with each passing second," with lyrics that include the singer discovering her maturity and "grown-up problems." In "Ribs", she references Canadianindie rockbandBroken Social Scene's 2002 song "Lover's Spit".Consequence of Soundnoted how Lorde's minimal production allowed her to sing in any melody, layering them over one another to create achoral effect.
Lorde first performed "Ribs" and "400 Lux" at theGreenwich VillageclubLe Poisson Rouge.She also performed the song during a free concert on 7 September 2013 at the 5000 seatVector Arena.On 24 September 2013, she performed the track atThe Fonda Theatrein Los Angeles, California,and at a concert at the Warsaw in Brooklyn on 3 October 2013 along with other material from her albumPure Heroine.On 26 November 2013, Lorde performed the song on theLate Show with David Letterman, backed by a drummer and a keyboard player.Canadian producerRyan Hemsworthremixed the track and released it under the subtitle "Let's Have a Sleepover Version".Lorde performed "Ribs" at theCoachella Valley Music Festivaland other festivals in 2017,and on her debutPure Heroine Tour(2013–2014);while a reworked version of the song was performed during the North American leg of herMelodrama World Tour(2017–2018).
"Ribs" received favorable reviews frommusic criticson its release. Mike Wass ofIdolatorpraised the song's "vulnerability" and called it an "obtuse offering".Lindsay Zoladz ofPitchforkopined that "Ribs" was the best song Lorde had written so far.Pretty Much Amazingwrote a mixed review of "Ribs", describing it as a song with "slower, driving beats" that go nowhere. While the publication praised its "dark and cold" chorus, it was also critical of the "same stacked vocals, hypnotic percussion, and synthesized production" that made the track repetitive.Evan Sawdey ofPopMatterscalled it one of the album's highlights, with the lyrics describing a "specific mood and atmosphere". Sawdey also compared the "steady club beat" that plays "underneath her words" to that of a heartbeat.The A.V. Clubcalled "Ribs" the "best illustration of [Lorde's] gift,"while Jon Hadusek ofConsequence of Soundplaced it as one of the album's essential tracks in his review.
Since its release, the song has appeared in several critics' lists. In 2017,Billboardranked "Ribs" at number 12 on their list of the 100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars. Tatiana Cirisano, a reporter for the publication, wrote that it remains the singer's "most poignant reflection on the anxieties—and small thrills—of growing up".Uproxxplaced the track at number 95 on its list of the Best Songs of the 2010s.
Commercially, "Ribs" peaked at numbers 36 and 92 on the Australian and British streaming charts,and reached number 29 on the New Zealand singles chart.The single reached number 26 on the United StatesBillboardHot Rock Songschart.In 2020, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity driven by creators on the video-sharing appTikTok.