"Pink Lemonade" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter

James Bay James Bay (french: Baie James; cr, ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, Wînipekw, dirty water) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost par ...

, from his second studio album, ''

Electric Light An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

'' (2018). The song was released by

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

on 7 March 2018 as the second single off the album. In April, Bay performed the song on ''

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...

''.

Music video

The official music video was directed by Phil Andelman and released on 26 March 2018. The clip opens with Bay wearing a sparkling crew neck sweater while he and his band play on an

Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night ...

type of broadcast playing into the living rooms of quiet suburban homes. Bay, who takes on the role as an astronaut trapped on Earth, is seen sneaking into a house's garage late at night to build a rocket ship. The highly anticipated blast off at the end of the video reveals the truth — a young Bay sitting in a “rocket” made out of a silver cardboard box, and the fantasy of escaping our planet vanishes." Bay said “The inspiration behind the video comes from the theme of escape that runs through the song. I was reminded of a time when I was about 4 years old and I told my parents I'd had enough of living with them and would be leaving home.”

Reception

Rania Aniftos from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' called the single “catchy” and a “delicious new rock song”. Jon Blisten, also from ''Rolling Stone,'' said ""Pink Lemonade" marks a notable departure from both the stripped-down folk of Bay's debut album, but also the textured electronic sound of ''

's'' lead single, " Wild Love". Instead, the tune embraces a

dance-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...

sound reminiscent of

The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...

Hot Hot Heat Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed by Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and released its first EP, ''Knock Knock Knock'', and first full-length album, '' Make Up the Break ...

Track listing

Certifications

Release history

References

{{James Bay 2018 singles 2018 songs Dance-rock songs James Bay (singer) songs Music videos directed by Philip Andelman Republic Records singles Songs written by James Bay (singer) Song recordings produced by Paul Epworth