"Perfume" is a song by the English band Pale Waves, released on 12 June 2024 as the lead single from their album Smitten (2024). The song was written by Pale Waves's frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie and producer Simon Oscroft. A music video for the song, directed by Georgie Cowan-Turner was also released. The single later peaked at number 13 on Billboard Japan's "Hot Overseas" single chart.
Music and lyrics
"Perfume" explores the excitement of new love and the "complexity that comes with the beginning of a relationship".[1] Baron-Gracie initially worried the lyrics for "Perfume" were too simple, but she later embraced their catchiness, likening them to the lyrics of the Spice Girls.[2]
Prominently featuring "jangly, rhythmic guitar" and vocals "reminiscent of The Cranberries", "Perfume" sees "the band's gothic impulses coming to the fore".[3] Several publications – such as Atwood Magazine, NME, and Under the Radar – have further argued that the track evokes the retro-pop sound of the band's early releases.[1][4][5]
Music video
A video for "Perfume" was directed by Georgie Cowan-Turner and released on 12 June 2024.[6][7]
Release
On 24 May 2024, Pale Waves performed at the 100 Club in London under the pseudonym "Perfume" as part of Dork magazine's "Dork Night Out" event series; at this concert, they debuted the song of the same name.[8][9] "Perfume" was eventually released as the lead single for Smitten, debuting on BBC Radio 1 on 12 June 2024.[10] The decision to release "Perfume" as the album's lead single was, according to Baron-Gracie, because "it just was the star of the show from the get-go. Everyone kind of thought the same. Everyone responded so well to 'Perfume' [and it] just felt right.[11]
Upon its release, the single peaked at number 13 on Billboard Japan's Hot Overseas chart.[12] Blood Records later issued a limited-edition apple-shaped 7" record (bundled with a special variant of Smitten) that featured "Perfume" on the a-side.[13][14]
