Cinderella

Album: Big Ideas (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Cinderella" isn't a fairytale retelling, but rather a wild ride through the mood swings and transient lifestyle Remi Wolf was experiencing while writing her second album, Big Ideas.

    "Constant travel and rapid changes led me to feel such a roller coaster of emotion," she explained. "Moving from feeling really insecure to feeling really good to feeling manic and depressed and then feeling OK again, while desperately craving a grounding figure to tell me I was doing a good job."
  • There's a sense of self-empowerment too. "This song was me stepping in as my own fairy godmother telling myself that I was in control," Wolf said.
  • The chorus is a darkly humorous twist on the classic fairytale.

    Like Cinderella making babies on the company's dime
    We're making pennies out of paper, better find a new slime


    Who says the put-upon stepsister didn't have a little fun (and maybe make some mischief) after all those chores?
  • Remi Wolf co-wrote and co-produced the song with her regular producer, Solomonophonic. They laid it down at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with the aim of creating a '70s nostalgia sound that still feels like a record made today.
  • After Wolf initially made the song with just herself and Solomonophonic, she brought in some horn players to "round out the sauce," including Leon Michels on saxophone. A producer and multi-instrumentalist, Michels played saxophone in Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and has also performed with The Black Keys and Norah Jones (he produced her 2024 Vision album).
  • Remi Wolf co-directed the video with Ragan Henderson. Look out for a cameo from Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco, who plays an ice cream man.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Music Video Director David Hogan

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Joe Jackson

Joe JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."