"Ribs" is the third promotional single and the fourth track by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, from her debut studio album, Pure Heroine. It was released on September 30, 2013, through Universal Music New Zealand, Lava Records, and Republic Records.
Commercially, the track appeared on record charts in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Lorde performed the song on numerous occasions, including on the Late Show with David Letterman, on her Pure Heroine Tour in 2014, her Melodrama World Tour in 2017-2018, and her Solar Power Tour in 2022-2023. After the release of "What Was That" in 2025, the track began to resurge in popularity and began to enter various charts for the first time.
Background[]
"Ribs" was written by Lorde (credited under her birth-name Ella Yelich-O'Connor) and Joel Little, with production, engineering, instrumentation and mixing handled by Little. It was recorded at Little's Golden Age Studios in Auckland. On September 30, 2013, Universal Music issued "Ribs" as a promotional single on the iTunes Store.[1]
Composition and writing[]
Lorde stated the song was inspired by ageing, which she described as "a big stress" of hers,[2] and "this big party I had when my parents went away".[3] "Ribs" was written on the day of the January 2013 Auckland Laneway Festival.[4]
"Ribs" is composed in the key of E major with a tempo of 128 beats per minute.[5] Lorde's vocals span a range of B2 to GâŻ5 and its chord progression follows a sequence of AâEâFâŻm7âCâŻm7.[6] "Ribs" is a deep house influenced electronica and electropop song,[7] which starts ambiently and, according to Jason Lipshutz of Billboard, 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 the Broken Social Scene song "Lover's Spit".[8]
Critical reception[]
"Ribs" received favourable reviews from music critics on its release. Mike Wass of Idolator praised the song's "vulnerability" and called it an "obtuse offering". Lindsay Zoladz of Pitchfork opined that "Ribs" was the best song Lorde had written so far. Pretty Much Amazing wrote 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.[9] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called 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.[10] The A.V. Club called "Ribs" the "best illustration of [Lorde's] gift," while Jon Hadusek of Consequence of Sound placed it as one of the album's essential tracks in his review.[11]
Since its release, the song has appeared in several critics' lists. In 2017, Billboard ranked "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 anxietiesâand small thrillsâof growing up". Uproxx placed the track at number 95 on its list of the Best Songs of the 2010s.[12]
Chart performance[]
"Ribs" peaked at numbers 36 and 92 on the Australian and UK streaming charts respectively, and also reached number twenty-nine on the New Zealand singles chart.[13] The single also charted on the United States Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.[14] In 2020, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity driven by creators on the video-sharing app TikTok.[15]
Live performance[]
Lorde first performed "Ribs" and "400 Lux" at the Greenwich Village club Le Poisson Rouge.[16] Lorde performed the song on September 7, 2013 at the Vector Arena during a free concert with 5000 seats. On September 24, 2013, she performed the track at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. On October 3, 2013, Lorde held a concert at the Warsaw in Brooklyn and performed the song among other tracks from the album. On November 26, 2013, Lorde performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, backed by a drummer and a keyboard player. Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth remixed the track and released it under the subtitle "Let's Have a Sleepover Version".[17] Later, she sang the song at Coachella on April 16, 2017. It appears on the setlist for Melodrama World Tour.[18]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
The drink you spilt all over me
"Lover's Spit" left on repeat
My mum and dad let me stay home
It drives you crazy, getting old
[Pre-Chorus]
We can talk it so good
We can make it so divine
We can talk it good
How you wish it would be all the time
[Chorus]
The drink you spilt all over me
"Lover's Spit" left on repeat
My mum and dad let me stay home
It drives you crazy, getting old
The drink you spilt all over me
"Lover's Spit" left on repeat
My mum and dad let me stay home
It drives you crazy, getting old
[Verse 2]
This dream isn't feeling sweet
We're reeling through the midnight streets
And I've never felt more alone
It feels so scary, getting old
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[Pre-Chorus]
We can talk it so good
We can make it so divine
We can talk it good
How you wish it would be all the time
[Chorus]
This dream isn't feeling sweet
We're reeling through the midnight streets
And I've never felt more alone
It feels so scary, getting old
This dream isn't feeling sweet
We're reeling through the midnight streets
And I've never felt more alone
It feels so scary, getting old
[Bridge]
I want 'em back, I want 'em back
The minds we had, the minds we had
How all the thoughts, how all the thoughts
Moved 'round our heads, moved 'round our heads
I want 'em back, I want 'em back
The minds we had, the minds we had
It's not enough to feel the lack
I want 'em back, I want 'em back
I want 'em
[Refrain]
You're the only friend I need
(You're the only friend I need)
Sharing beds like little kids
(Sharing beds like little kids)
And laughing till our ribs get tough
(Laughing till our ribs get tough)
But that will never be enough
(But that will never be enough)
You're the only friend I need
(You're the only friend I need)
Sharing beds like little kids
(Sharing beds like little kids)
And laughing till our ribs get tough
(Laughing till our ribs get tough)
But that will never be enough
(But that will never be enough)
[Outro]
But that will never be enough
But that will never be enough
But that will never be enough
But that will never be enough
References[]
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20131012173517/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ribs-single/id716908688
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20170806180238/http://www.mtv.com/video-clips/2uobij/lorde-opens-up-about-ribs
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20140106185630/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/lorde-is-blissful-during-six-song-live-on-letterman-set-20131113
- â https://www.webcitation.org/6N0LltKzs?url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/gig-reviews/9664573/Lorde-celebrates-success-with-first-fans
- â https://tunebat.com/Info/Ribs-Lorde/0TEekvXTomKt3hdXDZxxeW
- â https://chordify.net/chords/lorde-songs/ribs-chords?version=youtube%3A4qaeoz_7cyE
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20171107031605/http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-lorde-pure-heroine/
- â https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/lorde-pure-heroine-track-by-track-review-5733177/
- â https://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/lorde-pure-heroine
- â https://www.popmatters.com/175719-lorde-pure-heroine-2495719039.html
- â https://consequence.net/2013/09/album-review-lorde-pure-heroine/
- â https://uproxx.com/music/best-songs-of-the-2010s-ranked/
- â https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/onerepublics-counting-stars-is-still-the-uks-most-listened-to-track-2590/
- â https://www.billboard.com/artist/Lorde/chart-history/ARK
- â https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/5/7/21247938/tumblr-aesthetic-2014-nostalgia-tiktok-indie-pop
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20140112063229/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-09-20/exclusive-lorde-freaks-out-about-the-aging-process-on-ribs/
- â https://soundcloud.com/ryanhemsworth/ribs-lets-have-a-sleepover
- â https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304360704579419123724592100
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