"Spanish Doors" is a single by American singer-songwriter
Liz Phair
Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career ...
. The song was written by Phair, with
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is an American record producer located in Los Angeles. He has produced many albums, including Liz Phair's ''Exile in Guyville'' and Placebo's debut.
Career
Wood is from Rockford, Illinois, United States.
In 1988, Wood, along with ...
producing the song. It was released on April 14, 2021, by
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright Ag ...
as the third single from Phair's seventh studio album, ''
Soberish
''Soberish'' is the seventh studio album from American singer, Liz Phair. It is her first studio album since 2010's '' Funstyle'' and was preceded by five singles: "Good Side", "Hey Lou", " Spanish Doors", "In There", and "The Game". The album was ...
''. The song speaks about the struggles of
divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
, and about how a life can be fractured in its wake. "Spanish Doors" received mixed reviews from critics, with some saying that the song harkened back to her earlier releases, while others criticised the mixing of the track. The single received
airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
on US
adult album alternative
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
radio, peaking at number 31 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Adult Alternative Airplay
Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by '' Billboard'' that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative ra ...
chart.
Background
![OhanaSep18-99 (43410527210) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/OhanaSep18-99_%2843410527210%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
"Spanish Doors" was released on April 14, 2021, alongside the tracklist and release date for ''
Soberish
''Soberish'' is the seventh studio album from American singer, Liz Phair. It is her first studio album since 2010's '' Funstyle'' and was preceded by five singles: "Good Side", "Hey Lou", " Spanish Doors", "In There", and "The Game". The album was ...
''.
Liz Phair
Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career ...
wrote that "‘Spanish Doors’ is “about the fracturing of a beautiful life, when everything you counted on is suddenly thrown up for grabs". Phair said that while she did "draw inspiration" from the divorce of a friend in writing "Spanish Doors", the actions described in the song were her own, explaining that "I relate to hiding out in the bathroom when everyone around you is having a good time but your life just fell apart...just a few moments ago you were a whole, confident person and now you wonder how you'll ever get the magic back."
Composition
"Spanish Doors" contains elements of 1990s
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
,
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
and layered vocal production. Lyrically, it was described by ''
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 ...
'' as "addressing the struggles of divorce".
The album mix of "Spanish Doors" is 32 seconds longer than the single release, at 3:57 of length. "Spanish Doors" was written by Phair, and produced by
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is an American record producer located in Los Angeles. He has produced many albums, including Liz Phair's ''Exile in Guyville'' and Placebo's debut.
Career
Wood is from Rockford, Illinois, United States.
In 1988, Wood, along with ...
, who also served as the mixing engineer for the song.
Critical reception
In a piece for ''Rolling Stone'', Jon Dolan observed similarities between "Spanish Doors" and "Divorce Song"—an earlier track of Phair's from ''
Exile in Guyville
''Exile in Guyville'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released on June 22, 1993, by Matador Records. It was recorded at Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 and produced by Phair and Brad Wood ...
''—and also noting what he called a "cleverly turned
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
-steeped slickness" on "Spanish Doors". For ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Peyton Thomas wrote that "poor mixing keeps the chorus of "Spanish Doors" from fully blasting off", with the backing vocals being brought to the front making Phair's vocals "nearly inaudible". Daniel Sylvester of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' labeled the song a "muddled mess", saying that the "strong verses and driving rhythm" were covered with "electronic beats, vocal effects, and layered chorus". In an ''
Under the Radar'' web exclusive, Austin Saalman wrote of "Spanish Doors" as "a frantic breakup anthem not unlike something Phair might have recorded 28 years ago".
Music video
The music video for "Spanish Doors" was released on April 30, 2021. It reflects shortcomings in a relationship with "mirror-like visual effects".
In an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', Phair said that "the video for me is about the different selves we play", and that in the context of her romantic life, she will often present herself as a more "idealized self", but when the relationship collapses, Phair is "left looking at that ambassador-self, envying her and also wondering if that’s the whole reason it fell through in the first place".
Live performances
Liz Phair performed "Spanish Doors" at an
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, alongside a backing band of Connor Sullivan and Cody Perrin on guitar, Neal Daniels on drums, and Ben Sturley on bass. Phair also played guitar, while providing her vocals.
Charts
References
{{Liz Phair
2021 singles
2021 songs
Liz Phair songs
Songs written by Liz Phair