Singer/songwriter Sky Ferreira has made her musical comeback with the single “Don’t Forget,” which comes almost nine years since her debut album, “Night Time, My Time.” Ferreira has always had a level of mystique and reclusiveness about her, so when she does return to the spotlight, fans are always ecstatic.
Ferreira’s comeback officially commenced on March 31, when she posted a teaser video for the song, hinting at new music along the way and captioning the video, “remember me?” She let the anticipation for her return build for the next month and a half before officially announcing on May 18 that “Don’t Forget” would be released a week later, on May 25.
“Don’t Forget” acts as a cautionary tale of sorts, warning the people around her that not only does she not forget, but she doesn’t forgive either. The song features lush, ’80s-inspired synths and booming drums that perfectly showcase an evolved sense of the sound many know her for.
Ferreira remains true to her rebellious nature in the song, singing “Keep it in mind/ Nobody here’s a friend of mine/ They can’t keep me in line.”
The song follows her typical gloomy point of view, which she’s more than aware of and references on 2013’s “24 Hours,“: “In a way/ you could say/ I was always a cynic.”
It’s perfectly fitting that Ferreira’s comeback single is titled “Don’t Forget,” seeing as it’s only the second song released by her since her debut, “Night Time, My Time.”
“Night Time, My Time” has received critical acclaim since its release, which has only increased the anticipation for a follow-up project and the eventual comeback of Ferreira’s signature moody and dark take on pop music
Ferreira began her musical career in 2009 at age 17, when she was signed to Capitol Records and released a few singles on the label. Her first taste of acclaim came in 2012, with her “Ghost” EP, which featured the now adored indie pop classic, “Everything Is Embarrassing.” The “Ghost” EP was released to hold fans over until she could get enough support from Capitol for a full album.
According to Ferreira, that help from Capitol never fully came, as she previously took to Instagram to write, “This album was extremely difficult to make and I had to fight extremely hard for it. I pretty much paid for everything in every single way so it could see the light of day.”
In an Instagram post on release day, Ferreira wrote, “This song has lived 9,000 lives (versions). This album is finally real. 9 years later. It’s real.”
Ferreira told fans in 2015 that her second studio album is titled “Masochism” and that she’d begun working on it. For the last several years, there have been reports and hopes that “Masochism” would be released, but up to this point, the rumors never turned out to be true. It’s unclear whether Capitol is the sole reason “Masochism” has been delayed so much, but it wouldn’t surprise audiences if that was part of the issue.
With still no confirmed release date for “Masochism,” Ferreira feels relieved just to be able to release any music she can.
“I didn’t want it to take this much time to come out, to be completely honest with you. But it just ended up being that way,” she said about “Don’t Forget” in a recent Vogue interview.
As recently as May 31, Ferreira called out Capitol once again when the company shared a post that read, “We are an artist first company that encourages open dialogue. We have nothing but a desire to help each one of our artists succeed, and hope that we can continue to have these critical conversations.”
Ferreira didn’t take to this very fondly and reshared it in a now deleted Instagram story captioning it “????????????????” and tagging the label. Although not completely confrontational, it is clear Ferreira believed Capitol’s statement was not true, especially in her case.
Whatever the reality of Ferreira’s experiences with Capitol, they’re unknown to the public, but Ferreira makes it clear that she’s received pushback for her artistic choices, had to upload and promote music herself, as well as fund most of her projects on her own, despite being signed to a major label.
This trend isn’t uncommon in the modern-day music industry, as we’ve seen artists like Iggy Azalea, Tinashe and Marina and the Diamonds all struggle to retain creative authority over their art.
In the age of social media platforms and influencers, many record labels have pushed artists to follow a more mainstream path to creating music, releasing their work and connecting with audiences, as opposed to supporting their personal artistic career choices.
For Ferreira, it seems that issues with her record label have been the source of her long-delayed comeback.
“I just want some control over my music and my career again. And I don’t want to be at the mercy of people ever again,” Ferreira told Vulture.
However, 2022 may just be the year that the stars align for Ferreira and fans alike. On top of releasing “Don’t Forget,” she’s recently attended the Met Gala, gotten press for a false rumor that Tesla CEO Elon Musk asked her out on a date, started editing the music video for “Don’t Forget” herself and has participated in several interviews with magazines for the first time in years.
It would appear that she’s begun a press tour of sorts, hopefully in preparation for her forthcoming album. An official release date remains unannounced, but this year is looking much more promising for fans compared to 2019, when Ferreira released “Downhill Lullaby” and then quickly disappeared once again.
If fans have learned anything in the nine years since “Night Time, My Time,” it’s to be patient and hope for the best.
Despite the recurring false hope for the release of “Masochism,” Ferreira has been more active in recent years, both online and in the real world, which fans can only hope means something.
With still half of 2022 remaining, it’s unclear what Ferreira will do to deliver on her promises, or if she will at all.
