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Kiss (Pale Waves song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Kiss
| cover = Kiss_single_artwork.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Pale Waves
| album = My Mind Makes Noises
| released =
| recorded = 2018
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Dream pop
| length =
| label = Dirty Hit
| writer = Ciara Doran & Heather Baron-Gracie
| producer =
| prev_title = Heavenly
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title = Noises
| next_year = 2018
| misc =
}}
"'Kiss'" is a song by English indie pop band Pale Waves from their debut studio album, 'My Mind Makes Noises' (2018). It was released as the album's third single on 15 May 2018 by Dirty Hit.
Composition
"Kiss" is one of the older compositions on 'My Mind Makes Noises' (2018), having been written when Pale Waves members Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran were students at BIMM Manchester. In one class, Baron-Gracie had been tasked with "writ[ing] a soundtrack to a film", and so she spliced scenes from John Hughes's 'The Breakfast Club' (1985) down into a trailer-length video and scored it; Doran and Baron-Gracie later took this score and fleshed it out into what would become "Kiss". In a conversation with 'Clash' magazine, Baron-Gracie described "Kiss" as "a naive song" because its lyrics were written when she was "try[ing to] get into the mindset of being a songwriter for a band". Musically, "Kiss" has been likened to the work of the Cure and Robert Smith.
Release
The song was mistakenly leaked via Spotify on 27 April 2018, but it was taken down shortly after. "Kiss" was released worldwide on 15 May 2018 as a download and through online streaming services. The song was named Hottest Record in the World on release day getting its world premier on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show. Kiss was also featured on Radio 1's B-list on their official playlist throughout July 2018.
Reception
Critical reception to "Kiss" has been generally positive upon release. Robin Murray of 'Clash' described the song as "a bright, buoyant summertime melter, blessed with a softest but more accurate of punches" and wrote that it's "perfect for those rainy British summertime days [as] it's got a heart of gold but a melancholic after-taste". Samantha Maine of 'NME' wrote that the track is an "instant pop banger that sees the band build on their ability to craft catchy choruses".
'Dork' magazine called the single a "banger" in their review of the track and stated: "It shimmers in the sparkle of Pale Waves' 80s pop glitter ball". The magazine summarised their thoughts by writing, "With a timeless quality, it's packing a chorus straight out of the 'Big Book Of Anthems', it's dark heart juxtaposed by a playful desire to lark about in the fast lanes". Upon the release of "Kiss", Joshua Copperman of 'Spin' magazine wrote that the track "isn't a drop in quality, though it doesn't necessarily raise the bar either". While critiquing the song for employing the same musical and lyrical approach as past Pale Wavess tracks, Copperman wrote that "Kiss" succeeds because "the emotions at the center come off as genuine".
Music video
The music video for "Kiss", directed by Robert Hales, was released on 14 June 2018 through the band's official Vevo account on YouTube. The video was filmed in black and white and focuses on the band performing in a large warehouse while black paint leaks from the walls.
Track listing
Charts
Release history
References
Category:Songs written by Heather Baron-Gracie
Category:2018 singles
Category:2018 songs
Category:Dirty Hit singles
Category:Pale Waves songs
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