Night Time, My Time

Sky Ferreira is an uncompromising artist who mixes synth pop and indie into her own cathartic style. Her willingness to challenge pop conventions was apparent even on her deceptively bubbly 2010 debut single "One" and was in full flower on 2012's moody "Everything Is Embarrassing" from the Ghost EP, which found her collaborating with Jon Brion, Shirley Manson, and Dev Hynes. Nevertheless, her 2013 debut album Night Time, My Time was a revelation in its fluent, confessional blend of electronic pop and experimental sounds usually associated with Suicide and Sonic Youth. The album immediately marked her as one of the innovators of the soul-baring, hook-laden left-field pop popularized by Lorde and Charli xcx (with whom Ferreira debuted on 2019's single "Cross You Out"). Nearly a decade after she began work on her second album Masochism, it had yet to be released, but singles like 2022's synth pop anthem "Don't Forget" and 2024's shoegaze-tinged "Leash" traced Ferreira's musical evolution and kept fans wanting more.

Born in Los Angeles in 1992, Ferreira began playing Elton John songs on the piano at nine years old. While growing up, she spent a lot of time with her grandmother, who was Michael Jackson's personal hairstylist. After hearing Ferreira sing, Jackson encouraged her to develop her gift, prompting her to take opera lessons and perform with her local gospel choir. As a teen, she wrote her own songs and posted videos of herself singing them online, attracting the attention of Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and leading to a deal with Parlophone Records in 2009.

While recording with producers Greg Kurstin, Dallas Austin, and Paul Epworth, Ferreira also appeared in Matthew Porterfield's indie drama Putty Hill and Uffie's "Pop the Glock" music video, and provided vocals on the Shoes' remix of the Virgins' "Teen Lovers." In 2010, she moved to Capitol Records and released her first singles: "One," which reached number 64 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and "Obsession," which hit number 32 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. A year later, she released the dance-influenced debut EP As If! Ferreira then collaborated with Jon Brion, Shirley Manson, and Dev Hynes on 2012's Ghost EP, which featured the single "Everything Is Embarrassing." The EP peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

During her years at Capitol, Ferreira fought against the label's teen pop expectations of her music, and she ultimately financed her debut album with money she earned from modeling gigs. She recorded most of the songs with Justin Raisen and Ariel Rechtshaid over the course of a month, and issued Night Time, My Time in October 2013. The album's distinctive mix of synth pop and grungy sonics won widespread acclaim, and it entered the Billboard 200 Albums chart at number 45. Around the time of Night Time, My Time's release, Ferreira appeared in the Eli Roth film The Green Inferno and delivered the Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1 EP in November 2013. Late that year, she recorded a version of Ariel Pink's "My Molly" with the singer/songwriter. In support of Night Time, My Time, Ferreira toured with Vampire Weekend and Miley Cyrus in 2014. While on the road, she debuted the song "Guardian."

In 2015, Ferreira began work with Rechtshaid and Raisen on her second album, Masochism. The following year, she collaborated with Primal Scream on their 2016 album Chaosmosis and had roles in the films Elvis & Nixon and The Trust. She also appeared in other film and television projects, including Edgar Wright's 2017 movie Baby Driver (which featured her cover of the Commodores' "Easy"), the third season of Twin Peaks, and Jonas Åkerlund's 2019 film Lords of Chaos. During this time, she issued a cover of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" and continued work on her second album. In March 2019, Ferreira released the track "Downhill Lullaby," a Masochism teaser that featured production by Dean Hurley and Jorge Elbrecht. In August 2019, Ferreira collaborated with Charli xcx on the song "Cross You Out." It would be almost three years before the second Masochism single was released. That song, "Don't Forget," appeared in May 2022; unlike "Downhill Lullaby," it recalled Night Time, My Time's moments of high-energy synth pop. She continued her acting career with performances in 2022's Alone at Night and 2023's Reptile. That year, Ferriera parted ways with Capitol. Late in 2024, she released "Leash," a woozy, shoegaze-influenced song she wrote and co-produced for the A24 film Babygirl. ~ Heather Phares