"Can't Rely on You"
Single by Paloma Faith
from the album A Perfect Contradiction
Released23 February 2014 (2014-02-23)
Recorded2013
Genre
Length3:19
LabelRCA
Songwriter(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 singer 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

Release history

Release history for "Can't Rely on You"
Country Date Format
United Kingdom 23 February 2014

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. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. 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. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  18. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Paloma Faith - Can't Rely On You" (in French). Hung Medien. ultratop.be (FR). Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  21. ↑ "IFPI - Paloma Faith: Can't Rely On You". Suomen virallinen lista. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "Paloma Faith Chart History". RÚV. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  24. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Paloma Faith". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  26. ↑ "Paloma Faith – Can't Rely on You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. ↑ "GAON DIGITAL CHART". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  30. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2014: Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  31. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2014: R&B/Hip-hop". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  32. ↑ "British single certifications – Paloma Faith – Can't Rely On You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
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