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Labour (song)

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"Labour"
Single by Paris Paloma
from the album Cacophony
Released24 March 2023 (2023-03-24)
Genre
Length3:57
LabelNettwerk
Songwriter(s)Paris Paloma
Producer(s)Justin Glasco

"Labour" is an indie folk song by British singer-songwriter Paris Paloma released on 24 March 2023. The track is described as an anthem[1] that addresses issues of gender inequality within societal structures.[2]

Background and release

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The song was written by Paris Paloma, a British artist from Derbyshire.[3] Paloma decided to combine two separate songs she had been writing into a single track, which became "Labour". The song, which was produced by Justin Glasco, was recorded in Los Angeles by Paloma with backup singers Natalie Duque, Nolyn Ducich and Annabel Lee.[4]

The song was released on 24 March 2023.[5] An official music video was released on 27 March.[6] It's featured on album Cacophony which was released on 30 August 2024.[7]

Composition

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"Labour" is an indie folk[8][9] or alternative folk[4][10] ballad.[11] The song features an acoustic arrangement of bass and guitar over a chorus of background singers.[10][11] The lyrics deal with an abusive relationship in which the singer's own emotional needs are subjugated beneath her husband's expectations that she perform emotional and physical labour.[11][12] It focuses on the history of women performing unpaid domestic labour, particularly homemaking and childrearing, and criticizes patriarchal expectations of women within marriage. The song also explores concepts of weaponized incompetence and the cycle of abuse.[1]

Music video

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Dressed in historic clothing, Paloma brings out dishes of food to complete a candlelit feast. The man at the head of the table (Henry Hayward) fills his plate and gobbles up meat and fruit while she watches. He pushes his plate away and taps his knife against a tankard. She fingers her wedding ring before getting up with her plate and cup, only to sit back down. Then, she breaks a pomegranate open and it sprays all over her dress; she stuffs berry pie into her mouth with her bare hands and makes a mess. She smiles and he laughs. When he lifts his head again, she is gone and her candle is out.

A different version of the song, "Labour: The Cacophony" was released on 29 March 2024.[13] It is a collection of clips of women singing along with the song or making thematically relevant works using it as an audio, with their vocals used as the titular cacophony.

Critical reception

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Critics described the song as a feminist anthem,[1] and linked the song to the phenomenon of "female rage" in response to unbalanced domestic and emotional labour in heterosexual relationships.[2][10] Evie Breese of The Big Issue compared the song's themes to the 2019 film Midsommar.[2]

Commercial performance

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Prior to its release, snippets from the song went viral on TikTok.[1] The song received 1 million streams on Spotify within 24 hours of release, and 1 million views on YouTube.[14] After the single's release, it started a viral trend in which women posted TikTok videos with the song where they described their own personal experiences with sexism.[5][3]

"Labour: The Cacophony" has over 16 million streams on Spotify as of September 2024,[15] and its music video has over 33 million views on YouTube.

Charts

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Chart performance for "Labour"
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 24
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 82
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 52
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 22
UK Indie (OCC)[20] 3
US Hot Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 9
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[22] 13
Chart performance for "Labour (The Cacophony)"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[23] 36

Certifications

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Certifications for "Labour"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Terasaki, Kimberly (27 March 2023). "Breaking Down Paris Paloma's Fiery Feminist Anthem, "Labour"". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Breese, Evie (24 March 2023). "Paris Paloma's Labour: The story behind the viral soundtrack to 'female rage'". The Big Issue. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b Mylrea, Hannah (31 May 2023). "Paris Paloma: "When people listen to 'Labour', I want them to feel like their anger is valid"". NME. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Unterberger, Andrew (2 May 2023). "Chartbreaker: Paris Paloma's Breakout Relationship Lament 'Labour' Is Resonating With Women and Men Alike". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Graye, Megan (14 March 2023). "Paris Paloma's new song 'Labour' has women sharing their experiences of misogyny". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  6. ^ Kelia (27 March 2023). "Watch Now: Paris Paloma Releases New Video For "labour"". Out Now Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  7. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (29 March 2024). "Paris Paloma has announced her debut album, 'Cacophony'". Dork. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  8. ^ Carter, Daisy (3 April 2024). "Paris Paloma confirms debut album 'Cacophony'". DIY Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (31 May 2023). "Paris Paloma: "When people listen to 'Labour', I want them to feel like their anger is valid"". NME. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Kenna, Abby (27 March 2023). "Paris Paloma Gives a Voice to Feminine Rage in "labour"". Ones to Watch. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Ghosh, Arundhati (31 March 2023). "Ballad Breakdown: Paris Paloma's "labour" Perfectly Captures Feminine Anguish". Afterglow ATX. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  12. ^ Kroeger, Gabrielle (5 April 2023). "Singer-songwriter Paris Paloma embodies feminine rage on "Labour"". The Oswegonian. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  13. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJZ4lrEvzkw
  14. ^ Michelle, Helana (7 April 2023). "Paris Paloma Shares Mic Drop Moment in New Feminist Anthem, "labour"". Glasse Factory. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  15. ^ https://open.spotify.com/album/0YsJwceJYAPbMx2O0mcRgF?si=77lp8VHOQ-isVs71ZUhmzw
  16. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Paris Paloma". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 46". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  18. ^ "Paris Paloma – Labour". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Hot Alternative Songs: Week of April 8, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Digital Song Sales: Week of June 17, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  23. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  24. ^ "British single certifications – Paris Paloma – Labour". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
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