Lights Out (Santogold song)
Encyclopedia
"Lights Out" is the third single by American
artist Santogold (now Santigold), taken from her self-titled debut Santogold
(see 2008 in music
).
's popular Live Lounge
programme, hosted by Jo Whiley
. She performed "Lights Out" and a cover of Adele
's "Hometown Glory
". Lights Out also appeared in hit tv show Grey's Anatomy.
Rolling Stone
compared "Lights Out" to "a lost Pretenders single." NME
, meanwhile, said the song "harkens back to the sleek ’80s new wave
of The Cars
." Blender
seconded the comparison, saying the "butterfly fragile" song uses "chunky Cars guitars and a plaintive early-MTV synth" as a "shy come-on". "Lights Out" also received comparisons to the Pixies; The Village Voice
stated it "channel[s] the Pixies with a punk-pop
sound fueled by spare guitar plucks, simple drum patterns, and lyrics delivered in a talk-sing stutter with random falsetto breaks." It "finds a fascinating middle ground between the Pixies and the Go-Go's
", according to Pitchfork Media
. Pitchfork Media placed it at #422 on its "Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s" list. PopMatters
simply called the song "a sweet and eerie lullaby". ILikeMusic
said that "under a pure fire pop chorus the track is as irresistible as gravity." The Manchester Evening News
went as far to call the song "perfect, faultless: a complete peach."
on August 11, 2008. It features Santigold performing in front of various colored walls and patterns — zebra
print, black-and-yellow gingham
, a tropical theme, cheetah
and tiger
prints, flamingo
es, feather
s, and others.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Santogold (now Santigold), taken from her self-titled debut Santogold
Santogold (album)
Santogold is the self-titled debut studio album by American alternative artist Santigold...
(see 2008 in music
2008 in music
2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
).
Release and reception
It was announced on July 4, 2008 that "Lights Out" would be released as a single on August 11. "Lights Out", as well as an exclusive remix of the song, is used to promote Bud Light Lime. The remix was available as a free download from the beer's official website. Santi promoted the song on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's popular Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
programme, hosted by Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
. She performed "Lights Out" and a cover of Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
's "Hometown Glory
Hometown Glory
"Hometown Glory" is the first single from Adele's debut album 19, released on 22 October 2007 in the United Kingdom. In 2008, the song was re-released as her fourth single...
". Lights Out also appeared in hit tv show Grey's Anatomy.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
compared "Lights Out" to "a lost Pretenders single." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, meanwhile, said the song "harkens back to the sleek ’80s new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
of The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
seconded the comparison, saying the "butterfly fragile" song uses "chunky Cars guitars and a plaintive early-MTV synth" as a "shy come-on". "Lights Out" also received comparisons to the Pixies; The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
stated it "channel[s] the Pixies with a punk-pop
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
sound fueled by spare guitar plucks, simple drum patterns, and lyrics delivered in a talk-sing stutter with random falsetto breaks." It "finds a fascinating middle ground between the Pixies and the Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
", according to Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. Pitchfork Media placed it at #422 on its "Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s" list. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
simply called the song "a sweet and eerie lullaby". ILikeMusic
ILikeMusic
ilikemusic.com is a Southampton UK based music magazine / webzine. The site was launched in 2001 by a small team of young people who like music, for others who like music, as an independent alternative to the plethora of corporate-run sites....
said that "under a pure fire pop chorus the track is as irresistible as gravity." The Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
went as far to call the song "perfect, faultless: a complete peach."
Music video
The "Lights Out" music video was directed by Kim Gehrig. The music video premiered via Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
on August 11, 2008. It features Santigold performing in front of various colored walls and patterns — zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
print, black-and-yellow gingham
Gingham
Gingham is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarn.The name originates from an adjective in the Malay language, genggang , meaning striped. Some sources say that the name came into English via Dutch...
, a tropical theme, cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
and tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
prints, flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
es, feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s, and others.
Track listing
- UK CD single
- "Lights Out" (radio edit) – 3:13
- UK digital EP
- Lights Out – 3:13
- Lights Out (Tepr Club Remix) – 5:40
- Lights Out (Tepr Emo Remix) – 3:37
- Lights Out (Kid Gloves Remix) – 7:30
- Lights Out (Dave Rubato Remix) – 3:16 (iTunes only)
Official versions and remixes
- Album Version — 3:12
- Radio Edit — 3:13 (same as the album version)
- Video Version - 2:30
- Bud Light Remix — 2:32
- Dave Rubato Remix — 3:16
- Diplo's Panda Bear Remix — 2:22 (appears on Top RankingTop RankingTop Ranking: A Diplo Dub is a mixtape by American artist Santigold and Philadelphia-based DJ Diplo, released on July 15, 2008.-General information:...
) - Kid Gloves Remix — 7:30
- Tepr Club Remix — 5:40
- Tepr Emo Remix — 3:37