Can't Rely on You

"Can't Rely on You"
Single by Paloma Faith
from the album A Perfect Contradiction
Released 23 February 2014 (2014-02-23)
Format
Recorded 2013
Genre
Length 3:19
Label RCA
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Pharrell Williams
Paloma Faith singles chronology
"Black & Blue"
(2013)		 "Can't Rely on You"
(2014)		 "Only Love Can Hurt Like This"
(2014)

"Can't Rely on You" is a song by English recording artist Paloma Faith, written by Faith and American singer and producer Pharrell Williams. The single, available for purchase from 23 February 2014, serves as the lead single from her third studio album, A Perfect Contradiction, which was released in early March.[1]

It has received some radio airplay, and during the last week in January it joined BBC Radio 6 Music's rotation list on the 'B' list. She also performed it on The Graham Norton Show on 14 February 2014.

Background

For her third studio album, Faith wanted to produce a more upbeat album, returning to her soul-girl roots.[2] In May 2013, Faith met Pharrell Williams at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Met Ball in New York City, when Williams approached Faith singing her song, "New York". He then took her phone, entered his contact number and told her, "I'm ready to work."[3] The pair went on to later write and record "Can't Rely on You" together in Miami.[4]

Composition

"Can't Rely on You" is a funk-soul track,[5] featuring looped funk beats and growly vocals.[6] The single was produced by Pharrell Williams and mixes the trademark beats of Williams with the distinctive soulful vocals of Faith,[7] bringing a grooving backdrop to the singer's soulful rebuke.[8]

Critical reception

Critics were quick to draw comparisons to Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", which was also produced by Williams, due to its similar beat.[5][9][10] However, Sam Lansky of Idolator insisted that this was not necessarily a bad thing, instead calling it an "improvement" on "Thicke's sticky falsetto and problematic lyrical content", describing it as "'Blurred Lines' with soulful female vocals, singing better lyrics."[9]

Tim Chipping of Holy Moly gave a negative review, labelling the song as "a record that sounds like a thing Beyoncé would do (and then leave off the album)", going on to say: "It's impressive and everything. But it's not, you know, got a tune. Or a chorus."[11] Chris DeVille writing for Stereogum was similarly negative, calling it a "post-"Blurred Lines" bluster" and later concluding, "Hopefully he’s saving his good stuff for Pusha or himself."[12]

Music video

The music video contrasts the retro flavour of the song with lushly anachronistic visuals.[9] Faith is seen in a variety of guises with several different men, each considered unreliable.[8][13] A series of melancholy Italian voice-overs narrate the clips,[13] the first of which sees Faith lingerie-clad, stroking a bare-chested man in bed with the spoken Italian stating: "Everybody leaves. People come and go. Don’t worry. Love is loss and loss in love. The space that was you will be filled. Your lines will be read by someone else. They just might not sound as good. But when the curtain rises, I’ll be standing there facing the crowd."[8] The video ends with the words (again, in Italian): "This is just a beginning."[8] The video won the "Best Colour Grade Award" at the 2014 UKMVA's.[14]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[15] 64
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 18
scope="row"Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 16
scope="row"Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 2
Belgium Dance Bubbling Under (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 12
Finland (Suomen virallinen latauslista)[18] 21
scope="row"Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[19] 37
scope="row"Ireland (IRMA)[20] 5
scope="row"Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 53
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 34
scope="row"Scotland (Official Charts Company)[23] 12
South Korea (Gaon International Chart)[24] 103
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 200,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Format
United Kingdom 23 February 2014 CD single, digital download[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Corner, Lewis (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith debuts new single 'Can't Rely on You' - video". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Sandwell, Ian (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith returns with Can't Rely On You". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Lane, Daniel (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith teams up with Pharrell Williams for new single". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Ellwood, Pip (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith reveals new single & third album". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 Kevipod (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith Debuts Music Video of 'Blurred Lines'-Esque New Single "Can't Rely On You"". Direct Lyrics. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Copsey, Robert; Corner, Lewis (13 January 2014). "Playlist: 10 tracks you need to hear". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  7. ↑ Baggs, Michael (13 January 2014). "Watch: Paloma Faith debuts new single, produced by Pharrell Williams". Gigwise. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Gosho Oakes, M. (15 January 2014). "Paloma Faith enlists Pharrell for new single "Can't Rely On You" - Music Video". Soul Culture. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 Lansky, Sam (13 January 2014). "Paloma Faith Blurs The Lines In "Can't Rely On You" Video: Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  10. ↑ James, Nicole (14 January 2014). "Paloma Faith Creeps Us Out in "Can't Rely on You" Video". Fuse. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Chipping, Tim (13 January 2014). "Is this new Paloma Faith and Pharrell single good? We're confused by her accent". Holy Moly. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  12. ↑ DeVille, Chris (17 January 2014). "This Week in Pop". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  13. 1 2 Lanza, Karen (14 January 2014). "Paloma Faith Let Down by a Bunch of Guys in 'Can't Rely on You' Video". Pop Crush. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "UKMVA Best Colour Grade Award – George K". MPC Advertising.
  15. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 "Ultratop.be – Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "Paloma Faith - Can't Rely On You" (in French). Hung Medien. ultratop.be (FR). Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  18. ↑ "IFPI - Paloma Faith: Can't Rely On You". Suomen virallinen lista. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  19. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  20. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 09, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2014-03-08". Scottish Singles Top 40.
  24. ↑ "GAON DIGITAL CHART". Gaon Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  25. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2014-03-08" UK Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "British single certifications – Paloma Faith – Picking Up the Pieced". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 October 2014. Enter Picking Up the Pieced in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
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