Biography
Sky Ferreira demonstrates an unyielding creative spirit by fusing synth pop and indie sounds into a deeply personal, emotionally charged approach. Signs of her resistance to mainstream pop formulas emerged with the seemingly upbeat 2010 debut single "One" and became unmistakable on the introspective "Everything Is Embarrassing" from 2012's Ghost EP, a project that brought her together with Jon Brion, Shirley Manson, and Dev Hynes. Her first full-length effort, the 2013 album Night Time, My Time, proved especially striking through its smooth, introspective merging of electronic pop with the experimental textures long connected to Suicide and Sonic Youth. That release quickly established her as a key figure in the raw, melody-rich outsider pop that Lorde and Charli xcx helped popularize, the same Charli xcx who later appeared with Ferreira on the 2019 single "Cross You Out." Although Masochism, the second album she began developing nearly a decade earlier, still awaited release, later singles such as 2022's synth pop standout "Don't Forget" and 2024's shoegaze-tinged "Leash" mapped her ongoing artistic growth and sustained fan anticipation.
Ferreira entered the world in Los Angeles in 1992 and first played Elton John songs on piano at the age of nine. During childhood she often stayed with her grandmother, Michael Jackson's personal hairstylist, and Jackson, after hearing her sing, urged her to nurture the talent. This encouragement led her to study opera and join a local gospel choir. As a teenager she began writing original material, uploading videos of her performances online, which caught the ear of Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and secured a 2009 contract with Parlophone Records.
While working in the studio alongside Greg Kurstin, Dallas Austin, and Paul Epworth, Ferreira also took on an acting role in Matthew Porterfield's independent drama Putty Hill, appeared in the Uffie "Pop the Glock" music video, and contributed vocals to the Shoes remix of the Virgins' "Teen Lovers." In 2010 she transferred to Capitol Records and issued her earliest singles, "One," which climbed to number 64 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and "Obsession," which reached number 32 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. The following year brought the dance-oriented debut EP As If! She then joined Jon Brion, Shirley Manson, and Dev Hynes once more for 2012's Ghost EP, highlighted by the single "Everything Is Embarrassing," which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.
Throughout her Capitol tenure Ferreira resisted the label's preference for conventional teen pop and ultimately funded her debut album with earnings from modeling assignments. She tracked most of the material with Justin Raisen and Ariel Rechtshaid during a single month and delivered Night Time, My Time in October 2013. Its distinctive combination of synth pop and gritty textures earned broad critical praise and debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Around the same period she appeared in Eli Roth's film The Green Inferno and released the Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1 EP in November 2013. Late that year she joined Ariel Pink to record a version of his song "My Molly." To promote Night Time, My Time, Ferreira toured with Vampire Weekend and Miley Cyrus in 2014, introducing the new track "Guardian" while on the road.
In 2015 she resumed sessions with Rechtshaid and Raisen for the long-gestating Masochism. The next year she contributed to Primal Scream's album Chaosmosis and took parts in Elvis & Nixon and The Trust. Additional screen work followed, including a cover of the Commodores' "Easy" in Edgar Wright's 2017 film Baby Driver, appearances in the third season of Twin Peaks, and a role in Jonas Åkerlund's 2019 movie Lords of Chaos. She also issued a cover of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" while continuing work on her sophomore album. March 2019 brought the Masochism preview "Downhill Lullaby," produced by Dean Hurley and Jorge Elbrecht. August of that year saw her collaboration with Charli xcx on "Cross You Out." Nearly three years passed before the next Masochism single arrived; "Don't Forget" surfaced in May 2022, returning to the high-energy synth pop of Night Time, My Time. She maintained her acting career with roles in 2022's Alone at Night and 2023's Reptile, parted ways with Capitol that same year, and closed out 2024 with "Leash," a dreamy, shoegaze-tinged track she wrote and co-produced for the A24 film Babygirl.
Ferreira entered the world in Los Angeles in 1992 and first played Elton John songs on piano at the age of nine. During childhood she often stayed with her grandmother, Michael Jackson's personal hairstylist, and Jackson, after hearing her sing, urged her to nurture the talent. This encouragement led her to study opera and join a local gospel choir. As a teenager she began writing original material, uploading videos of her performances online, which caught the ear of Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and secured a 2009 contract with Parlophone Records.
While working in the studio alongside Greg Kurstin, Dallas Austin, and Paul Epworth, Ferreira also took on an acting role in Matthew Porterfield's independent drama Putty Hill, appeared in the Uffie "Pop the Glock" music video, and contributed vocals to the Shoes remix of the Virgins' "Teen Lovers." In 2010 she transferred to Capitol Records and issued her earliest singles, "One," which climbed to number 64 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and "Obsession," which reached number 32 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. The following year brought the dance-oriented debut EP As If! She then joined Jon Brion, Shirley Manson, and Dev Hynes once more for 2012's Ghost EP, highlighted by the single "Everything Is Embarrassing," which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.
Throughout her Capitol tenure Ferreira resisted the label's preference for conventional teen pop and ultimately funded her debut album with earnings from modeling assignments. She tracked most of the material with Justin Raisen and Ariel Rechtshaid during a single month and delivered Night Time, My Time in October 2013. Its distinctive combination of synth pop and gritty textures earned broad critical praise and debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Around the same period she appeared in Eli Roth's film The Green Inferno and released the Night Time, My Time: B-Sides Part 1 EP in November 2013. Late that year she joined Ariel Pink to record a version of his song "My Molly." To promote Night Time, My Time, Ferreira toured with Vampire Weekend and Miley Cyrus in 2014, introducing the new track "Guardian" while on the road.
In 2015 she resumed sessions with Rechtshaid and Raisen for the long-gestating Masochism. The next year she contributed to Primal Scream's album Chaosmosis and took parts in Elvis & Nixon and The Trust. Additional screen work followed, including a cover of the Commodores' "Easy" in Edgar Wright's 2017 film Baby Driver, appearances in the third season of Twin Peaks, and a role in Jonas Åkerlund's 2019 movie Lords of Chaos. She also issued a cover of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" while continuing work on her sophomore album. March 2019 brought the Masochism preview "Downhill Lullaby," produced by Dean Hurley and Jorge Elbrecht. August of that year saw her collaboration with Charli xcx on "Cross You Out." Nearly three years passed before the next Masochism single arrived; "Don't Forget" surfaced in May 2022, returning to the high-energy synth pop of Night Time, My Time. She maintained her acting career with roles in 2022's Alone at Night and 2023's Reptile, parted ways with Capitol that same year, and closed out 2024 with "Leash," a dreamy, shoegaze-tinged track she wrote and co-produced for the A24 film Babygirl.
Albums
Singles
