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She's American

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"She's American"
Single by the 1975
from the album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
Released4 November 2016
Genre
Length4:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The 1975 singles chronology
"A Change of Heart"
(2016) 		"She's American"
(2016) 		"Loving Someone"
(2017)

"She's American" is a song by English band the 1975 from their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The song was written by Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Mike Crossey handled the production alongside Daniel and Healy. The song was released on 4 November 2016 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from the album. Healy was inspired by the interplay between the British and Americans, creating a tongue-in-cheek song about the subtleties involved in a British rockstar courting an American woman. Containing a 1980s-style beat, futuristic synths and a saxophone solo, it is a retro funk, pop and synth-pop song with elements of disco, yacht rock and synth-funk.

The song's lyrics, which serve as a commentary on the cultural differences between the British and Americans, detail Healy's turbulent romance with an American woman who is attracted to things that he cannot understand. Upon release, "She's American" received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who praised the lighthearted nature, hooks and production, with some deeming it a highlight from I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It. The song reached number 176 on the UK Singles Chart, number 91 in Scotland and number 32 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. It was later certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). An accompanying music video, featuring Healy dancing in front of a video screen, was filmed but ultimately not released.

Background and development

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"I think that one was very playful ... very tongue-in-cheek. But it's just based on the very kind of minute aspects of the interplay between kind of 'young British boy in rock band and American girl.' Yeah, it's a tale as old as time, it's just another one of those songs."

—Healy, on the meaning of "She's American".[1]

In an interview with Joe Lynch of Billboard, the 1975's lead singer Matty Healy described "She's American" as "playful". When asked about a line in the song that refers to fixing his teeth and if it was a cultural difference between the Americans and the British, the singer said the track was: "Not a snarling takedown but it's about being in an English rock band and the nuances of the courting process between American girls and British boys. Teeth are a big currency in America."[2] Healy was also asked about the line by Chris DeVille of Stereogum, telling the interviewer: "British people don't have bad teeth, but ['She's American'] is more about being British than it is about girls being American."[1] On 4 November 2016, "She's American" was released by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It.[3]

Music and lyrics

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"She's American"
A 27-second sample of the chorus of "She's American", showcasing the song's 1980s-style beat, futuristic synths and saxophone solo as Healy highlights the differences between himself and his American partner.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "She's American" is a funk,[4][5] pop and synth-pop song with a length of four minutes and thirty seconds (4:30).[6][7][8] The song was written by the 1975 members George Daniel, Healy, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while the former two handled the production alongside Mike Crossey.[9] The retro instrumentation is composed of a 1980s-style beat,[10][11] "gooey" futuristic synths,[12][13] "tinny" rhythm guitars,[7] funk guitar licks,[14] a funk bass, a slap-bass "fizz",[15] a subtle saxophone solo, "radiant" harmonies and twitching "spindly" guitar lines.[4][16] The track also incorporates elements of disco,[11] yacht rock and synth-funk.[17][18]

Lyrically, "She's American" is a commentary on cultural differences between the British and Americans.[8][11] The song describes being involved with a romantic interest while not making the relationship official, with Healy warning of mistaking the moment with falling in love with the girl.[11][19] The track's intro contains a 1980s live-drum sound and opens with the couplet: "Big town, synthetic apparitions of not being lonely."[11][20] The verses, which contain a "serpentine" guitar line, feature "dramatic" lyrics dealing with topical subjects such as painkillers, guns ("And I think she's got a gun divinely decreed and custom made") and "other American appetites", according to Jonathan Wroble of Slant Magazine.[11][21] In the chorus, the singer details the cultural differences between himself and his American partner, who is attracted to things he cannot understand, singing: "If she likes it cos we just don't eat / And we're socially relevant, she's American".[9][16]

Reception

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Deeming "She's American" the best song on I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, Edwin McFee of Hot Press compared it to a John Hughes soundtrack and said the track "will ensure [the 1975] keep[s] selling out arenas around the world".[10] The Verge writer Jamieson Cox praised the song's hooks and deemed it an album highlight.[4] Writing for idobi, Dana Reandelar declared the track as her favourite song from the record and praised its 1980s-style beat, "catchy" verses and hooks.[11] The Red & Black's Emma Korstanje commended the "unforgettable [and] catchy" hook of "She's American".[22] Alan Sculley of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune wrote that the song contains an "immediacy" that "draw[s] one into the album and prompt[s] further listens".[23] Following the release of I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, Hyperallergic writer Lucas Fagen expressed his desire to see the band release it as a single.[19]

Laura Snapes of Pitchfork used "She's American" as an example of the record's "enormous[ly] fun" sound and praised Healy's "clenched-fist" vocals.[15] Wroble highlighted the "shimmering" chorus, saying the song will "transport [the listener] instantly to a shopping mall", and also commended the "catchy" lyrics of the verses.[21] The Line of Best Fit writer Grant Rindner praised the production's "underlying solemnity" and wrote that while the song is a "difficult act to pull off", Healy is successful in "sell[ing] both lines".[13] Rhian Daly of NME commended Hann's "spidery" guitar work, calling the track an "ode to a girl across the pond".[16] The Irish Times' Lauren Murphy compared the incorporation of yacht rock in "She's American" to the works of Phil Collins and Steely Dan.[17]

Renowned for Sound writer Jessica Thomas commended the "vibrancy" of "She's American",[24] while The A.V. Club's Annie Zaleski called the song a "gauzy, synth-pop daydream" and Jessi Roti of the Chicago Tribune deemed the track an "art-funk confection".[8][25] Writing for The Observer, Michael Hann described "She's American" as a "sharp pop song about being an Englishman desired by American girls".[26] In a mixed review, Patricia Guzman of The Harvard Crimson wrote that the song is not "necessarily unpleasant to listen to but lack[s] conviction", finding it too derivative of the 1975's previous songs.[27] In his review of I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It for The Independent, Andy Gill was ambivalent toward the first half of the album, including "She's American", deeming it "brittle".[7] In the 1975's native United Kingdom, "She's American" peaked at number 176 on the UK Singles Chart and number 91 in Scotland,[28][29] and was later certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales of over 200,000 units in the UK.[30] In the United States, the song peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[31]

Cancelled music video

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An accompanying music video was expected to be released on Christmas in 2016.[32] However, following the 2016 US presidential election results, the band's manager, Jamie Oborne, revealed that a visual for fellow album track "Loving Someone" would be released beforehand.[33] Numerous teaser clips for the "She's American" video were released, including footage from the visual and behind-the-scenes photos from the crew who worked on the shoot.[32][34] The footage included Healy dancing with a group of women holding machine guns in front of a video screen. When asked about the visual's planned debut date on Twitter, Oborne revealed that it would likely not be released. On December 22, 2018, Healy tweeted an American flag emoji followed by a second post containing a video of him working on choreography while the song plays in the background.[32][35] Despite the speculation of a potential debut, the video was not released.[32]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It album liner notes.[9]

Charts

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Chart performance for "She's American"
Chart (2016) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 176
Scotland (OCC)[29] 91
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 32

Certifications

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Certifications and sales for "She's American"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b DeVille, Chris (18 February 2016). "The Week In Pop Q&A: The 1975's Matt Healy On His Band's Massive, Adventurous New LP". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  2. ^ Lynch, Joe (28 January 2016). "The 1975's Matt Healy on Fake Famous Friendships, His Secret Dance Project & Why Trap Is the New Punk". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Key Releases". Music Week. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Cox, Jamieson (25 February 2016). "The 1975's new album is ambitious, absurd, and kind of awesome". The Verge. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. ^ Smyth, David (7 March 2016). "The 1975, tour review: The most interesting pop act around". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  6. ^ Collar, Matt. "I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It – The 1975". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Gill, Andy (26 February 2016). "The 1975, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, album review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Zaleski, Annie (26 February 2016). "The 1975 keeps people guessing on a self-aware, entertaining second album". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  9. ^ a b c I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (inlay cover). The 1975. Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. 2016. p. 11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ a b McFee, Edwin (17 February 2016). "Album Review: The 1975 I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "We Like it When The 1975 Makes Music, For Their Albums are So Beautiful and They're Probably Aware of it". idobi. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Music review: 'I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it' by The 1975". Gulf News. 6 March 2016. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  13. ^ a b Rindner, Grant (25 February 2016). "Growth and survival with The 1975". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  14. ^ Palathingal, George (23 September 2019). "Nothing to prove". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  15. ^ a b Snapes, Laura (25 February 2016). "The 1975: I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  16. ^ a b c Daly, Rhian (10 February 2016). "The 1975's Mad 'I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It' – A Track-By-Track Dissection". NME. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  17. ^ a b Murphy, Lauren (25 February 2016). "I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  18. ^ Williot, Carl (25 February 2016). "I Was So Wrong About The 1975". Idolator. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  19. ^ a b Fagen, Lucas (25 June 2016). "They Might Be Assholes: Jake Bugg, Panic! at the Disco, The 1975, Drake". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  20. ^ Harris, Harry (3 December 2018). "The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  21. ^ a b Wroble, Jonathan (3 March 2016). "Review: The 1975, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  22. ^ Korstanje, Emma (1 March 2016). "The 1975's new album difficult to dislike". The Red & Black. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  23. ^ Sculley, Alan (30 November 2016). "Interview: The 1975′s Matt Healy says album isn't about 'my ego'". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  24. ^ Thomas, Jessica. "Album Review: The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It". Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  25. ^ Roti, Jessi (9 May 2020). "The 1975 review: Matty Healy eclipses his own band at the United Center". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  26. ^ Hann, Michael (15 November 2015). "The 1975: 'No one's asking you to inspire a revolution. But inspire something'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  27. ^ Guzman, Patricia (11 March 2016). "The 1975 Regrettably Stagnant on Sophomore Release". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update". Zobbel.de. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  29. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  30. ^ a b "British single certifications – 1975 – She's American". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  31. ^ a b "The 1975 Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  32. ^ a b c d Maine, Samantha (22 December 2018). "Are The 1975 finally releasing the 'She's American' video?". NME. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  33. ^ Graves, Shahlin (10 November 2016). "The 1975 plan 'Loving Someone' music video". Coup de Main. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  34. ^ Graves, Shahlin (9 December 2016). "Behind-the-scenes photos from The 1975's 'She's American' music video". Coup de Main. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  35. ^ Stiernberg, Bonnie (22 December 2018). "The 1975's Matty Healy Teases 'She's American' Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
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