After more than five years as a rising pop star, Sky Ferreira must be used to her singles going underappreciated, and “I Blame Myself” was the most underappreciated track off last year’s already great Night Time, My Time. Indebted less to ‘90s alt than the kind of sparkly, introspective pop that’s not tied to any decade – like Ferreira’s own “Everything Is Embarrassing” – it was both immediate and searing, sparing no fury for the intersection of condescension, sexualization and (“it’s like talking to a friend who’s trying to be a lover”) she encountered while churning through the major-label teen pop machine, while never being obvious. It goes right for the throat: of its targets, of its hooks.
It’s also, with its John Hughes closing-credits vibe, fertile material to turn into a video. Sadly, the clip for “I Blame Myself” is not really so topical, a fakeout of a gangsta rap clip that – shock? – doesn’t star a gangsta rapper but a be-hoodied Sky, fresh out of the stylist’s room — or at least the “LoveGame” storyboard. There is about a 50 percent chance you will encounter a thinkpiece about this by the end of the week.
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