It’s the third single off their forthcoming album ‘X’s.’
The first two singles off the forthcoming Cigarettes After Sex album, X’s, are the kinds of dark and sensual slow-burns that fans have come to associate with the El Paso-born dream-pop outfit. Today, we get a third new song, “Baby Blue Movie,” and while it feels thematically similar to the first two, this one has a surprisingly sprightly tempo. The press release even uses the phrase “full-on pop banger.”
“A ‘blue movie’ is a term for a porn movie & so ‘baby blue movie’ is a reference to softcore porn,” Cigarettes After Sex leader Greg Gonzales explains in a statement. “I heard the title years ago & it felt really striking to me. The story of the song is intentionally meant to be more cryptic storytelling wise than the lyrics I usually write. I like the idea of leaving the listener to decide what this one could be about…”
Indeed, the lyrics are very opaque. The opening verse hints at a hotel rendezvous. Gonzalez seemingly refers to one person by their social media handle.
Baby blue movie with always4tuesdays
And her love, Sarah, at Brooklyn House Hotel
In the pre-chorus, Gonzalez is feeling calm amid whatever chaos is taking place.
I’m just a hurricane eye (Hurricane eye)
They’re not a little too shy (Too shy)
Know how I wanted to sing (Wanted to sing)
Know how they wanted to sing (Wanted to sing)
The chorus doesn’t give any more indication of what’s going on. Gonzalez is navigating a complex love affair, but the listener is left to fill in the blanks.
Don’t you understand
Don’t you know the love that you want’s all the love that you needed
Gave me all you had
Gave me all the love that you want, all the love that you needed
The only other information we get comes in the second verse. Alas, we’re back to watching softcore at the hotel.
Baby blue movie with always4tuesdays
And her new bestie, perfectly sweet
You can read all the lyrics to “Baby Blue Movie” on Genius now.
