Stupid Girl (Garbage song)
"Stupid Girl" | ||||
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Single by Garbage | ||||
from the album Garbage | ||||
B-side |
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Released | January 22, 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1994 | |||
Studio | Smart (Madison, Wisconsin) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:18 | |||
Label | Almo | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Garbage | |||
Garbage singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Stupid Girl" on YouTube |
"Stupid Girl" is a song by American rock band Garbage from their self-titled debut studio album (1995). The song was written and produced by band members Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig. "Stupid Girl" features lyrics about a young woman's ambivalence and is a musical arrangement centered on a repetitive bassline and a drum sample from the Clash's 1980 song "Train in Vain".
The song was released by
Reviews of the song were positive, with praise for the production. "Stupid Girl" was nominated for two
Development
Production
"Stupid Girl" began as a rough
After Marker saw Manson's group Angelfish on MTV's 120 Minutes, the band invited her to Vig and Marker's Smart Studios to sing on a couple of songs, but after a "dreadful" first audition, she returned to Angelfish.[6] Manson eventually returned to Smart for a successful second attempt, when she began to work on the basic forms of "Queer", "Vow" and "Stupid Girl".[7]
Manson's lyrics for "Stupid Girl" became an "anthem for a girl who won't settle for less than what she wants."
Garbage wanted to write a song that incorporated a thumping, repetitive
Reflecting on the success of the song in 2002, Vig admitted: "People still ask us who the 'Stupid Girl' is, and that's impossible to answer. The song is sort of meant to be a wake up call. It could be about an ex-girlfriend. It could be about a rock diva that we all know, it could be about your sister. It could also be called 'Stupid Boy'."[4] Looking back, he also stated, "It's impossible to predict what will be a hit. But subconsciously, I knew the song was good when I kept playing the same rough mix over and over again on my car stereo for months."[4]
Composition
"Stupid Girl" is a moderately fast
The
Instead, on the B note is another dominant seventh. Such chords are the basis of the
In the intro, four bars set the rhythm, adorned by only a
Release and promotion
"Stupid Girl" was first released in Australia and New Zealand on January 22, 1996,
In North America, where "Only Happy When It Rains" had been the band's breakthrough single,
Remixes
In 1996, Mushroom released a white-label 12-inch vinyl to clubs featuring the Red Snapper and Dreadzone mixes in advance of the UK release of "Stupid Girl".[44] The Red Snapper mix was later released in Europe on the B-side to "Only Happy When It Rains",[45] while White Records released this mix along with the Dreadzone mixes on the Stupid Girl (The Remixes) extended play.[24] Almo Sounds commissioned additional remixes from Danny Saber, Rabbit in the Moon, Jason Bentley and Todd Terry for the North American release of the single.[43] One of Todd Terry's mixes was also serviced to Top 40 radio.[38] Mushroom later released this version, along with the Danny Saber mix in the UK on the B-side of "Milk",[46] while White included the Todd Terry mix on the bonus disc of the Garbage: Australian Tour Edition.[47] In 1997, Mushroom released four Todd Terry mixes on a set of 12-inch vinyls (Stupid Girl Remixes) in the UK.[48] An instrumental version of the Red Snapper mix was also included on the compilation album Big Beat Elite.[49] In 2007, Todd Terry's radio mix was remastered and included on the Absolute Garbage bonus disc Garbage Mixes.[50]
Danny Saber's remix brief for his version of "Stupid Girl" sought to create a version of the song for radio airplay on new wave/alternative rock stations. Garbage's management wanted Saber to retain the original's "Train in Vain" loop, as it had cost the band a significant amount to license. Saber opted for a Soft Cell/house music combination, incorporating the original vocal line, tempo, key and feedback. Saber created a new bassline for the remix, arranging the mix around it. Saber completed the remix in a single day, with one further day required to mix.[51]
B-sides
Garbage recorded a number of tracks for the B-side of "Stupid Girl" in January 1996 during rehearsals for their first full-length concert tour.
Critical reception and legacy
"Stupid Girl" received an overwhelmingly positive response from music critics both upon the release of Garbage and upon its single release. Select's Ian Harrison called the song "Duran-like", describing it as "mighty doomy pop neatly tailored to enhance one's natural discontentment."[57] Vox magazine's Craig McLean called it "malignant, dirty, devious, sneering pop",[58] while Metal Hammer's Pippa Lang compared Manson's "ever-so-sexy, sibilant" vocals to Trent Reznor's.[59] Kerrang! described "Stupid Girl" as "a classy piece of predatory pop perfection that wields an iron punch beneath it's [sic] velvet glove."[4]
The song was nominated for two
In 2005, "Stupid Girl" was featured in
Commercial performance
"Stupid Girl" made its first chart appearance on the Australian
On March 4, 1996, "Stupid Girl" debuted at number 48 on the UK Airplay Chart.
In North America, Almo Sounds serviced "Stupid Girl" to alternative radio on May 20,
By August, "Stupid Girl" continued to chart, debuting at number 68 on the
Music video
The music video for "Stupid Girl" was filmed on January 16, 1996, in a Los Angeles warehouse by director Samuel Bayer. The four-hour[104] shoot took place after filming the "Only Happy When It Rains" music video.[105] The "Stupid Girl" video was given a smaller budget, as Almo Sounds believed that "Only Happy When It Rains" would be more commercially successful than "Stupid Girl".[106] According to Manson, the other band members were drunk and exhausted after three days shooting the first video.[5]
The "Stupid Girl" video debuted internationally on February 1, 1996,[107] and in North America on May 5.[108] MTV added the video the week of May 13[109] and certified "Stupid Girl" a Buzz Clip. It was the band's third consecutive video to be guaranteed heavy airplay on the network.[38] VH1 added the video in early September[110] and featured it in a Pop-Up Video episode.[106]
The video for "Stupid Girl" is a performance piece inspired by the
The "Stupid Girl" video earned Garbage a nomination for Best New Artist in a Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards,[113] losing to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic".[114]
The "Stupid Girl" video was first commercially released on
Track listings
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[132] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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