Television Romance

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"Television Romance"
Pale Waves Television Romance single art.jpg
Single by Pale Waves
from the album My Mind Makes Noises
Released16 August 2017
10 November 2017 (7")
Recorded2017
GenreIndie pop
Length3:25
LabelDirty Hit
Songwriter(s)
  • Heather Baron-Gracie
  • Ciara Doran
Producer(s)
  • Matthew Healy
  • George Daniel
Pale Waves singles chronology
"There's a Honey"
(2017) 		"Television Romance"
(2017) 		"New Year's Eve"
(2017)

"Television Romance" is a song by the English indie pop band Pale Waves, released in 2017 to promote their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). The song—which was written by Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran and produced by Matthew Healy and George Daniel of the 1975—was inspired by an incident wherein Baron-Gracie had to bluntly rebuff a hopeful suitor who was oblivious to her disinterest.

"Television Romance" was released with the band's "There's a Honey" as a double A-side single by Dirty Hit on 16 August 2017. A video for the song, directed by Healy and Samuel Burgess-Johnson, was also released. The single and video received largely positive reviews from critics; many applauded the band's sound and the song's catchiness, whereas others appreciated the music video's aesthetics. "Television Romance" debuted at #83 on the Scottish Singles Chart on 17 November 2017 and at #2 on the UK Vinyl Singles and UK Singles Sales Charts.

Composition and production[]

"Television Romance" was co-written by Heather Baron-Gracie (left) and Ciara Doran; the song was produced by the 1975's Matthew Healy (right) and George Daniel.

"Television Romance" was written in 2016 by Ciara Doran and Heather Baron-Gracie after touring with the English indie pop band Sundara Karma, and in an interview with NME, Baron-Gracie explained that during this time, the band members were going through a period of self-doubt: "We got off that tour, and we’re like, 'Right, we can’t write.' We were so sad. … [But] then we came out with one of our best songs."[1] Baron-Gracie explained in an interview with Billboard magazine that the song's lyrics were "about a night we had … [And] somebody was just constantly coming onto me, and I was like, 'No, please stop! Because one, I don’t want this, and two, I’m not really into you.' And they just wouldn’t stop and I was like, 'Is it not obvious that I don’t like you back?'"[2] In a discussion with Sarah Kidd of Ambient Light, Baron-Gracie said, "That happens a lot in this day and age where people just don’t listen and just keep trying to say something that obviously isn’t the same for the other person."[3] In the same interview, Baron-Gracie noted that, ironically, some listeners assume the song is about love, even though "it’s a rejection song ... It’s looking at romance in a negative manner."[3]

When it was being written, "Television Romance" went through various iterations—so many that band began to question what exactly it "want[ed] to be".[1] The final version of the song was produced by Matthew Healy and George Daniel of the 1975, and it was recorded in Healy's attic.[4][5] Healy first expressed interest in producing the single after his manager, Jamie Oborne (who also managed Pale Waves), played Healy a demo of "Television Romance" and "There's a Honey". "Matty said he wished that 'Television Romance' was his song," Doran revealed to the BBC, "so he wanted to have some involvement."[5] Doran credits Healy and Daniel with "[taking] what [Pale Waves] had and [making] it sonically bigger."[5] That said, when discussing how much of an impact Healy had on the band's sound, Baron-Gracie told NME that "we're different bands and different people. [Healy and the 1975] are our friends, and we’re really close to them but we’re both doing our own thing right now".[4]

Musically, "Television Romance" is in the key of E major and is played at a tempo of 115 BPM.[6] Described as "dream pop nostalgia",[7] The song opens with a "swirling guitar riff",[8] and "high-pitched vocals, [all] backed by sugar-sweet synths."[9] This specific soundscape has often been compared to music of the 1975 (regarding these comparisons, Baron-Gracie told Nylon magazine: "I guess people just hear poppy guitars these days and think, 'The 1975,' because they're the most relevant band at the moment, and they're so big people are automatically inclined to compare").[10] While analyzing the lyrics to "Television Romance", Euphoria magazine wrote that they are "dripping with solitude and teen angst as it is blooming with confidence."[11]

Music video[]

A band performs a song in a cramped flat. The band's lead singer and lead guitarist, Heather Baron-Gracie, stands in the foreground.
A still from the "Television Romance" music video. The flat in which the band performs was owned by a 92 year old woman, whose belongings were also featured in the video.

The music video for "Television Romance" was co-directed by Matty Healy (making this his directorial debut) and Samuel Burgess-Johnson. It was released on 18 September 2017 and features the band performing the song in the living room of a residence at a tower block.[12] The video was filmed in a block of flats in Ashton-under-Lyne in the Greater Manchester area.[12][1] The flat used in the video was owned by a 92-year-old woman. "She had no clue what was going on but she was loving it," Healy noted in an interview with NME.[12]

Shahlin Graves of Coup de Main commented on how Baron-Gracie adds character to the video, writing "Heather Baron-Gracie, queen of iconic eye-rolls – long may you reign."[13] As of July 2021 the music video has been viewed over 13.4 million times on the band's YouTube page.[14]

On 17 January it was announced that the music video was nominated for an NME Award for Best Video at the NME Awards 2018. The winner was revealed at the ceremony at London's O2 Academy Brixton on 14 February with the band losing out to The Big Moon with their video for "Sucker".[15]

Release[]

The song was originally released on 16 August 2017 as a download and made available on streaming services the same day.[16] It was re-released on 10 November 2017 as a 7" double A-side single with the band's debut single "There's a Honey", pressed on a limited edition white vinyl.[17]

Reception[]

Upon release, "Television Romance" received positive reviews from critics. Thomas Smith, writing for NME called the song "a shimmering, summer-tinged indie banger." In particular, he applauded "the song’s heavenly chorus," which "allows the Manchester quartet to elevate into a league of their own."[18] Clash writer Robin Murray, called the song "a sugar-sweet ear-worm of a track."[19] She further described it as "infectious of chorus and glistening of production".[19] Andy Von Pip of the online music blog, The VPME, praised the track, naming it their track of the day on 17 August 2017. Von Pip wrote that the song was a "lovingly crafted slice of slick but heartfelt indie, one that you could imagine being featured in a John Hughes montage."[20] Von Pip also wrote highly of the "melancholic winsome appeal of Heather Baron-Gracie's fragile vocal."[20]

"Television Romance" was criticized by some critics for sounding very similar to their previous single, "There's a Honey".[21][22] Von Pip, for instance, wrote: "['Television Romance' is] the follow up to their sublime official debut single for Dirty Hit Records 'There’s A Honey' and to be honest it isn't a million miles away from that track, indeed there are points in the chorus that sound like it's actually going to morph into said debut".[20] Heather Baron-Gracie addressed this criticism on 5 December 2017 via her official Twitter account, saying: "If our songs sound ‘similar’ it's because we’re the same band... lol".[23]

Year-end lists[]

Publication Rank Ref.
Marie Claire "Best Songs of 2017" (2017)
14
[24]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Organisation Award Work Result Ref.
2018 NME NME Awards 2018: Best Video Television Romance Nominated [15]

Track listing[]

Download, Streaming
No.TitleLength
1."Television Romance"3:25
7" (AA re-release)
No.TitleLength
1."Television Romance"3:25
2."There's a Honey"3:47

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[25] 83
UK Physical Sales Chart (Official Charts Company)[26] 2
UK Vinyl Chart (Official Charts Company)[27] 2

Release history[]

Country Date Format Label Catalog no.
Worldwide 16 August 2017
  • DL
N/A
10 November 2017
  • LP
 DH00258

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c NME (25 October 2017). "Pale Waves – 'Television Romance' | Song Stories". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (20 August 2018). "Pale Waves: Get to Know the 'Television Romance' Group". Billboard. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Kidd, Sarah. "Heather Baron-Gracie of Pale Waves: Disintegration, Every Time". Ambient Light. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Thomas (7 September 2018). "The Big Read – Pale Waves, American Gothic". NME. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Youngs, Ian (8 January 2018). "BBC Sound of 2018: Pale Waves interview". BBC. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Key & BPM for Television Romance by Pale Waves". Tunebat. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  7. ^ Nardino, Meredith (20 November 2018). "Review: On Pale Waves' 'My Mind Makes Noises,' Nostalgia and Romance Burn Bright". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  8. ^ Smith, Thomas (17 August 2017). "Pale Waves Return with Another Summer Anthem on 'Television Romance'". NME. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  9. ^ Osowiecka, Kasia (17 August 2017). "Pale Waves Share Sparkling New Tune 'Television Romance'". Gig Goer. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  10. ^ Manders, Hayden (2018). "Pale Waves Are So Much More Than the 1975 Clones". Nylon. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  11. ^ Krogh, Aurora Henni (21 August 2017). "Pale Waves – Television Romance". Euphoria. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c Stubbs, Dan (20 October 2017). "The 1975 and Pale Waves: Matty Healy Introduces Your Favourite New Pop Band". NME. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  13. ^ Graves, Shahlin (19 September 2017). "Pale Waves – 'Television Romance' music video". Coup de Main. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Pale Waves – Television Romance". Youtube. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Daly, Rhian (17 January 2018). "Lorde, Kasabian, and Dua Lipa Lead VO5 NME Awards 2018 Nominations". NME. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Television Romance by Pale Waves". Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Television Romance / There's A Honey White 7"". Dirty Hit. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  18. ^ Smith, Thomas (17 August 2017). "Pale Waves Return with Another Summer Anthem on 'Television Romance'". NME. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Murray, Robin (17 August 2017). "Pale Waves Share Urgent New Single 'Television Romance". Clash. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b c Von Pip, Andy (17 August 2017). "Track Of The Day – Pale Waves Television Romance". The VPME. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  21. ^ Bassil, Ryan (22 February 2018). "Dear Anonymous Fan of Pale Waves, Please Explain". Vice. Retrieved 23 July 2021. When I heard 'There’s a Honey' I loved it, then I listened to 'Television Romance'—it’s almost the same song but I listened to it ten times a day which I haven’t done with a band in ages.
  22. ^ Biddles, Claire; et al. (15 December 2017). "Pale Waves – There's a Honey". The Singles Jukebox. Retrieved 23 July 2021. While the follow-up single 'Television Romance' treads nearly the exact same melodic territory, the sensitive lyrics [to 'There's a Honey'] and polished arrangement are ultimately what keep me coming back to this one.
  23. ^ Baron-Gracie, Heather [@HBARONGRACIE] (5 December 2017). "If our songs sound 'similar' it's because we're the same band... lol" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Peng, Chelsea; Keong, Lori (13 November 2017). "Marie Clare Tracks of the Year 2017". Marie Claire. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  26. ^ "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100: 17 November 2017 – 23 November 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40: 17 November 2017 – 23 November 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
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