Liability (Lorde song)
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"Liability" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter
Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
, from her second studio album ''
Melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
'' (2017). Lorde co-wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff. It was released on 10 March 2017, by
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and
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as the album's first promotional single. It is a
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piano ballad, which is accompanied with
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and guitar strums in the background. The track's lyrics detail the consequences and scrutiny Lorde's friends received from the media as a result of her new-found fame and the effect it had on her emotional health. Music critics praised the song's lyrical content and Lorde's vocal delivery; some noted its dramatic sonic shift from the album's lead single " Green Light" (2017), which was released a week prior. The song had minor chart placements in the United States and the United Kingdom, placing at 78 and 84, respectively. She performed "Liability" for the first time on ''
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'' in New York in 2017 and subsequently at the
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in California. It was part of the set list of her
Melodrama World Tour The Melodrama World Tour was the second concert tour by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, undertaken in support of her second studio album, '' Melodrama'' (2017). Lorde headlined several music festivals before commencing the tour, and went ...
(2017–2018). Swedish singer
Tove Styrke Tove Anna Linnéa Östman Styrke (; born 19 November 1992) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She gained popularity as a contestant on '' Swedish Idol 2009'', finishing in third place. After the show, she started a solo career in electropop. Sh ...
released a cover of the song titled "Liability (Demo)" to streaming services on 14 December 2017.


Background and development

Lorde told a crowd at a secret
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concert she held in Los Angeles in August 2017 that "Liability" was inspired by a night she became "overcome with anger and emotion". She walked before ordering an
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to take her home. She cried as she listened to
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's song "
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" from her 2016 album ''
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'' because of a feeling of "being 'too much' for somebody." Self-proclaimed as her first ballad, Lorde described the songwriting process of "Liability" as "therapeutic" as she felt that she said everything about herself that could hurt her "coming from other people". Lorde said the original concept for "Liability" was a rap skit. She wanted to find a "fancy sound designer" to put the listener in a party. In there, she wanted to evoke the feeling of her walking away from said party down a hall, find a room, shut the door and then deliver a
verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...
and
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of the song. She also intended to have dialogue within "Liability", with someone calling her name and Lorde walking out of the room as the listener stays inside waiting for the next song to play. She contemplated changing the framing of the track but refrained from doing so. The singer said a note that was "deliberately missing" from the track was meant to feel like taking a breath or as if one would skip a step downstairs. She spent a couple of days in Waiheke Island to write the song.


Recording and composition

Lorde recorded "Liability" in three different locations across the United States. She started recording the song at Electric Lady Studios, in
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, with Jack Antonoff and assistance from Barry McCready and Eric Eylands in engineering. Lorde and Antonoff both worked at Rough Customer Studio, in Brooklyn Heights, New York, a joint publishing venture between Sony/ATV and Antonoff. Recording concluded at Conway Recording Studios, in
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,
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. Tom Elmhirst mixed the song at Electric Lady Studios, with assistance from Brandon Bost and Joe Visciano. Laura Sisk served as the sound engineer. It was published under the licenses of
Songs Music Publishing Songs Music Publishing, also known as SONGS, is a Music publisher (popular music), music publishing company founded by Matt Pincus and joined by partners Ron Perry (music), Ron Perry in 2004 and Carianne Marshall in 2006. The company has offices in ...
, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, and Ducky Donath Music ( BMI). According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Liability" is composed in the key of D-flat major and in the common time signature. The song moves at a moderately slow
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 72 beats per minute, and Lorde's vocals span a range of C–A. It is described by critics as a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
piano ballad, with guitar strums and
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in the background. '' Pitchfork'' editor Quinn Moreland noted an "unidentified mumbling male voice" at the start of the track. Patrick D. McDermott from ''
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'' compared "Liability" to the works of American
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band Bright Eyes. ''
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'' called it a "stripped-down" track, with a haunting piano melody that accompanies the singer's voice, which was labelled as husky. Its lyrics reveal the consequences of Lorde's rise to fame, in the lines, "The truth is, I am a toy that people enjoy 'til all of the tricks don't work anymore / And then they are bored of me."


Reception

"Liability" received critical acclaim from music critics, with many commending the song's lyrical content and Lorde's vocal delivery, and was called one of the standout tracks on the record. Jon Blistein of ''
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'' described the song as a "short but poignant song that finds Lorde grappling with fame and how it can change friendships and relationships." ''Billboard'' writer Andrew Unterberger commended its lyrics and Lorde's delivery, calling the song "an absolute jaw-dropper." ''
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'' editor Anna Gaca praised Lorde for turning the track into a "poetic meditation on the perils of intimacy". '' Pitchfork'' expressed that the song was a "powerful counterpart to "Green Light" that shows how intensely Lorde peers into herself on her second record." The song was released with the pre-order of ''Melodrama'' on digital download sites. In the United States, "Liability" debuted at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It charted on the Digital Song Sales chart at number 27 (27,000 first-week downloads sold in the week ending March 16), while accruing 4.7 million U.S. streams. The song had minor chart placements in the United Kingdom and France, debuting at number 84 and 54, respectively. "Liability" debuted at number eight in New Zealand, earning Lorde her ninth top 10 entry in her native country. Elsewhere, the song debuted within the mid-tier in Australia and Canada, placing at number 42 and 62, respectively. It has received certifications in
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(Platinum),
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(Gold),
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(Gold), and the
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(Silver). The song was ranked the 81st most popular song of 2017 by Australian alternative music station
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.


Live performances and other usage

Lorde performed "Liability" for the first time on ''
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'' in 2017. She sang the song with Antonoff, next to a piano while wearing a white bridal veil. Both Lorde and Antonoff brought several pieces to place on the piano to feel like when they initially wrote the song; these included a set of candles, a copy of Lorrie Moore's short story collection ''
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'' (1985) and a framed picture of Swedish singer
Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
. ''Rolling Stone'' called it a "sparse, understated rendition." In a review for the episode, Chris White from '' Paste'' praised Lorde's performance, stating that the singer may be "remembered as the best musical performance" of the show's
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. Vish Khanna from '' Exclaim'' described the performance as "artfully shot," with a piano accompaniment from Antonoff to back a "raw, emotional vocal" which was compared to American musicians Patti Smith and Paul Westerberg. "Liability" was also performed at the 2017 edition of the
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in England. Lorde confessed to the crowd that the song's inspiration came from the "bottomless pit of misery that comes from knowing you're a massive loser." ''
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'' called it a "beautiful confession" and one that "demonstrated the purity of her flawless vocals." She also performed the track at the
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while sitting alone in a dim corner with lights peeking through a "wall of blinds." Lorde performed the song at the 2017 Coachella festival in "a glass box." Before she introduced the song, she briefly sang
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's single "
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" (2010).
Tove Styrke Tove Anna Linnéa Östman Styrke (; born 19 November 1992) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She gained popularity as a contestant on '' Swedish Idol 2009'', finishing in third place. After the show, she started a solo career in electropop. Sh ...
, an opening act on Lorde's
Melodrama World Tour The Melodrama World Tour was the second concert tour by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, undertaken in support of her second studio album, '' Melodrama'' (2017). Lorde headlined several music festivals before commencing the tour, and went ...
, released a demo of the track on streaming services on 14 December 2017. It was well received by critics who commended its "bouncy pop" twist. Styrke released a music video of her cover, filmed in a "deserted studio, decorated with fluorescent lights, nd Styrkesprawled across the ground." Lorde's version is heard at the end of the '' Quantico'' episode " Global Reach"''.'' It was also featured in a special episode of
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's original series, ''
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''.


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Melodrama''. Recording and management *Recorded at Conway Recording Studios, Rough Customer Studios ( Brooklyn Heights, New York), and Electric Lady Studios (
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) *Mixed at Electric Lady Studios (New York City) *Mastered at
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(New York City) *Published by
Songs Music Publishing Songs Music Publishing, also known as SONGS, is a Music publisher (popular music), music publishing company founded by Matt Pincus and joined by partners Ron Perry (music), Ron Perry in 2004 and Carianne Marshall in 2006. The company has offices in ...
, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, and Ducky Donath Music ( BMI) Personnel *
Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
, songwriting,
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
* Jack Antonoff – songwriting, production *Barry McCready – assistant engineer *Eric Eylands – assistant engineer * Tom Elmhirstmixing * Joe Visciano – assistant mixing *Brandon Bost – assistant mixing * Tom Coynemastering *Laura Sisk –
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Charts


Certifications


References


External links

* {{authority control 2010s ballads 2017 songs Lorde songs Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff Song recordings produced by Lorde Songs written by Jack Antonoff Songs written by Lorde Tove Styrke songs