Eighteen (Pale Waves song)

"Eighteen" 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 fifth single on 24 July 2018 by Dirty Hit.

"Eighteen"
Single by Pale Waves
from the album My Mind Makes Noises
Released	24 July 2018
Recorded	2018
Genre	Synth-pop[1]
Length	3:00
Label	Dirty Hit
Songwriter(s)	Ciara Doran Heather Baron-Gracie
Producer(s)	Jonathan Gilmore Ciara Doran (add.)
Pale Waves singles chronology
"Noises" (2018) "Eighteen" (2018) "Black" (2018)

Release

The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 show as Annie Mac's "Hottest Record in the World" on 24 July 2018. The band also revealed on the same show that their debut studio album was titled My Mind Makes Noises and would be released on 14 September 2018.[2] "Eighteen" was featured on BBC Radio 1's official playlist throughout August and September 2018. The single reached the A-list in the week of 7 September 2018, a first for the band.

The song was a success in Japan, marking the first time the band have charted outside of Europe. The single reached number 55 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and number two on the Japan Hot Overseas chart.

Critical reception

Will Richards of DIY magazine gave the song a positive review, calling it the band's "most direct pop song yet", and also praising the chorus as "the best Pale Waves have ever written."[3] Writing for Dork, Stephen Ackroyd was similarity positive about the track, praising it for being a great introduction to the album; he wrote the track "audibly throbs, revving its engines on the starting line."[4] Rania Aniftos of Billboard had high praise for the song, calling it a "glistening pop tune" and summarising: "It's truly an electronic bop that encompasses the age it's titled after."[5]

Music video

The music video for "Eighteen" was directed by Adam Powell and premiered on 22 August 2018.[6] The video depicts lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie on a road trip across the United States. Footage of Baron-Gracie walking through a forest by a lake, staying in a motel and visiting a diner is interspersed with the footage. There is also an unseen love interest shown in apparent flashback scenes. Hugo Silvani and Charlie Wood play the characters of gas station attendants, whilst Ciara Doran appears at the diner as a customer.[7][8]

Track listing

Digital download[9]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Eighteen"	3:00

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard Japan)[10]	55
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[11]	2

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Various	24 July 2018	Digital download	Dirty Hit	[9]
United Kingdom	17 August 2018	Contemporary hit radio		[12]

References

1. Finn, Rachel (13 September 2018). "Pale Waves – My Mind Makes Noises". DIY. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
2. "Pale Waves release new single, announce debut album". Alternative Press. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
3. Richards, Will (24 July 2018). "Pale Waves – Eighteen". DIY. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
4. Ackroyd, Stephen (24 July 2018). "Pale Waves – Eighteen". Dork. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
5. Aniftos, Rania (24 July 2018). "Pale Waves Release Sparkling New Track 'Eighteen,' Announce Debut Album & Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
6. Graves, Shahlin (22 August 2018). "Pale Waves – 'Eighteen' music video". Coup De Main Magazine. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
7. "Eighteen Music Video Information", IMVDB Retrieved on 12 September 2018.
8. "Eighteen Official Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved on 12 September 2018.
9. "Eighteen – Single by Pale Waves". iTunes Store (UK). Retrieved 2 November 2018.
10. "Billboard Japan Hot 100". Billboard Japan. Billboard Japan. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
11. "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas". Billboard Japan. Billboard Japan. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
12. "BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.