Ethel Cain drops new song “American Teenager” with visualizer

Ethel Cain drops new song “American Teenager” with visualizer
It’s the third single from Preacher’s Daughter, due out May 12.

By Raphael Helfand

April 21, 2022

Photo by Ethel Cain.

 

Last month, Ethel Cain announced she’ll be releasing her debut album, Preacher’s Daughter, on May 12 via her own newly founded label, Daughters of Cain. Along with the news of her forthcoming LP — which follows the string of three EPs she’s self-released over the past few years — she dropped its lead single, “Gibson Girl.” Earlier this month, the Florida-born, Alabama-based singer-songwriter put out its second offering, “Strangers,” and today, she’s shared “American Teenager,” a third cut from the project.

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The new song combines the anthemic elements of country rock with Cain’s poppier impulses, her voice double-tracked and Auto-Tuned in ethereal harmony, adding an element of the uncanny to an otherwise triumphant jam. The effect works in favor of the track’s message, which cuts through clichéd nostalgia for idyllic American summers by shining a light through the cracks in the American dream.

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“Growing up I was surrounded by visions of Nascar, rock’n’roll, and being the one who would change everything,” Cain writes. “They make you think it’s all achievable and that if nothing else, you should at least die trying. What they don’t tell you is that you need your neighbor more than your country needs you. I wrote this song as an expression of my frustration with all the things the ‘American Teenager’ is supposed to be but never had any real chance of becoming.”

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In the song’s visualizer, she sits on a picnic table in the shade, sipping Budweiser tall cans and looking restless on a sunny afternoon. Watch the video and view the dates of her newly announced July tour below.

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Ethel Cain’s The Freezer Bride 2022 tour

July 14 – Bloomington, IN – The Bishop
July 15 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Festival
July 18 – Detroit, MI – El Club
July 19 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe
July 20 – Montreal, QC – Le Ritz PDB
July 22 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
July 23 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brendas
July 24 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
July 27 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall
July 28 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
July 30 – Gainesville, FL – High Dive
July 31 – Tallahassee, FL – 926 Bar

Khalid – American Teen lyrics

[Verse 1]
Living the good life full of goodbyes
My eyes are on the grey skies
Saying I don’t want to come home tonight
Yeah, and I’m high up, off what?
I don’t even remember
But my friend passed out in the Uber ride

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, I’m from the city of the 9-1-5
Where all the girls are pretty
And they’re down for the hype
All my boys are with me
Going up for the night
But who cares, who cares
‘Cause this is our year

[Chorus]
So wake me up in the spring
While I’m high off my American dream
We don’t always say what we mean
That’s the lie of an American teen

[Verse 2]
Maybe the end is near
But I’ve been waiting all year
To get the hell up out of here
And throw away my fears
I’m so faded (I’m so faded)
Off of all the things that I’ve taken, and
Maybe I’m not really drunk
Maybe I’m really good at faking

[Pre-Chorus]
From the city of the 9-1-5
Where all the girls are pretty
And they’re down for the hype
All my boys are with me
Going up for the night
But who cares, who cares
‘Cause this is our year

[Chorus]
So wake me up in the spring
While I’m high off my American dream
We don’t always say what we mean
That’s the lie of an American teen

[Bridge]
My youth is the foundation of me
Living life as an American teen (American teen)
American teen
Mmm, oh yeah
We don’t always say what we mean
When we’re high off our American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Oh, I’m proud to be American

[Chorus]
So wake me up in the spring
While I’m high off my American (American dream)
And we don’t always say what we mean
It’s the lie of an American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Living life as an American teen
American teen (American teen)

[Outro]
American Teenager
And I’ll be living this dream with you

[Chant]
We don’t always say what we mean
When we’re high off our American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Oh, I’m proud to be American

Khalid – American Teen

[Verse 1]
Living a good life full of good vibes
My eyes are on the grey skies
Saying I don’t want to come home tonight
Yeah, I’m high up, off what?
I don’t even remember
But my friend passed out in the Uber ride

[Pre-Chorus]
From the city of the 915
Where all the girls are pretty
And they’re down for the hype
All my boys are with me
Going up for the night
But who cares, who cares

[Chorus]
‘Cause this is our year
So wake me up in the Spring
While I’m high off my American dream
We don’t always say what we mean
It’s the life of an American teen

[Verse 2]
Maybe the end is near
But I’ve been waiting all year
To get the hell up out of here
And throw away my fears
I’m so faded (I’m so faded)
Off of all the things that I’ve taken and
Maybe I’m not really drunk
Maybe I’m really good at faking

[Pre-Chorus]
From the city of the 915
Where all the girls are pretty
And they’re down for the hype
All my boys are with me
Going up for the night
But who cares, who cares

[Chorus]
‘Cause this is our year
So wake me up in the Spring
While I’m high off my American dream
We don’t always say what we mean
It’s the life of an American teen

[Bridge]
My youth is the foundation of me
Living life as an American teen (American teen)
American teen, oh yeah
We don’t always say what we mean
When we’re high off our American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Oh, I’m proud to be American

[Chorus]
So wake me up in the Spring
While I’m high off my American (American dream)
And we don’t always say what we mean
It’s the life of an American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Living life as an American teen
American teen (American teen)

[Outro]
American Teenager
And I’ll be living this dream with you

[Chant]
We don’t always say what we mean
When we’re high off our American teen
My youth is the foundation of me
Oh, I’m proud to be American