Sky Ferreira criticizes former label Capitol as she prepares to release new single
Ferreira’s “Leash,” taken from the soundtrack to Nicole Kidman’s movie Babygirl, is out this week.
Sky Ferreira has discussed being dropped by Capitol Records as she prepares to release her first song as an independent artist. "Leash," which appears in the new Nicole Kidman movie Babygirl, is out on Thursday (December 6) and marks the start of a new era for Ferreira, who hasn't released an album since 2013's Night Time, My Time.
Speaking to Vogue, Ferreira described "Leash" as fitting the themes of the movie, which tells the story of a sexual relationship between a high-powered CEO (Kidman) and a young intern (Harrison Dickinson).
"The crux of the film is that feeling of being a prisoner to yourself, and that’s what I wanted to embody," Ferreira said. "There’s something a bit emotionally nihilistic about it all."
Ferreira added that the very act of releasing new material has added importance to her, after leaving the record label she signed to as a teenager. That relationship ended in 2023 with Ferreira telling Vogue that she lays the blame for taking so long to release a new album at the door of the label. "[Capitol Records] kept me from putting out new music for 10 years as a way of making me look like I’m incapable of it,” she said. “I’m able to do a song for an A24 film after all this time because that first album clearly meant something to people.”
She also revealed that she is currently “working to try and get some of those songs back” from Capitol, though it is easier said than done.
“People keep telling me I should just re-record the songs and it’s like, yeah, Taylor Swift can do that because she’s a billionaire, but I basically put all the money I’ve ever made as an artist back into making music,” she said.
“I think most musicians I know generally pay to work. But I am following up “Leash” with another song right afterwards—some time early next year—because I don’t want it to seem like some random one-off. Because that’s another thing, Capitol would’ve never let me do something like this Babygirl song.”
The FADER has reached out to Capitol Records for comment.