Sky Ferreira: As If EP

It's hardly a secret that I'm a big supporter of L.A. singer Sky Ferreira. Thanks to her poster-girl looks, wry sense of humour and distinctive voice, she earned the backing of some of the world's best producers and seemed destined for success.

However, after a disorientating string of releases that bore little or no resemblance to one another, her debut album was 'postponed' indefinitely from its January release date and the outlook began to look a bit grim.

Thankfully, it seems Team Ferreira went back to the drawing board for a change of tack. The result is the succinct but spellbinding As If EP.

Opening track Sex Rules, written by Billy 'Like A Virgin' Steinberg, sounds like a 21st century update of Vanity 6's Nasty Girl, with Sky crooning about the merits of carnal knowledge over a backdrop of skittery electro flourishes.



Traces, a dub-influenced piano ballad (yes, really) co-written by Neon Hitch, has been doing the rounds for quite a while in demo form but sounds much better in high quality and is probably the track that best showcases Ferreira's voice.

Haters Anonymous, immaculately produced by the inimitable Bloodshy & Avant, is a tongue-in-cheek attack on anonymous bloggers and internet 'haters'. An anthem for the Rebecca Blacks of the world, if you will.

99 Tears is a glitchy electropop number, written by Lily Allen collaborator Greg Kurstin, that echoes the vengeful ex-girlfriend sentiments of Allen's Smile.

108, another Bloodshy & Avant production, is an elegant robopop ballad in the vein of Sky's signature hit, One. Underpinned by cascading synths, colourful lyrics like "My secret lover is 108 / I know it sounds insane, it’s really ok / He's got a face that'll haunt you for a billion decades” are imbued with a quiet sadness thanks to Sky's deliciously deadpan delivery.

Sky Ferreira - 108



Lord knows I'm prone to over-excitement, but I genuinely think As If is on par with the best pop releases in recent years (Robyn's 2005 self-titled album springs to mind).

It's out today. Invest.