Supermodel (Jill Sobule song)

"Supermodel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule from the soundtrack to the 1995 film Clueless. Following the release of the soundtrack, Sobule's self-titled second studio album was reissued with the addition of "Supermodel". The song was released to radio as the third single from the soundtrack and the second single from Sobule's album on August 22, 1995, by Lava Records. The song was written by David Baerwald, David Kitay, Brian MacLeod, and Kristen Vigard, whilst production was helmed by Brad Jones and Robin Eaton. Lyrically, the song discusses a teenage girl's desire to be a supermodel, which was inspired by excerpts from the teen magazine Sassy.

"Supermodel"
Single by Jill Sobule
from the album Jill Sobule
B-side
  • "Trains"
  • "Queen of Spades"
ReleasedAugust 22, 1995 (1995-08-22)
Genre
Length3:07
LabelLava
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Brad Jones
  • Robin Eaton
Jill Sobule singles chronology
"I Kissed a Girl"
(1995)		 "Supermodel"
(1995)		 "Good Person Inside"
(1996)
Music video
"Supermodel" on YouTube

"Supermodel" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Some critics acknowledged "Supermodel" to be a highlight from the Clueless soundtrack and most made note of the song's bridge, which makes reference to an eating disorder. Commercially, "Supermodel" received minimal success in Australia, where it peaked at number 53 on the ARIA Charts in 1996. A music video was released to promote the song, which was heavily inspired by the 1976 supernatural horror film Carrie. In 2020, Sobule stated that she felt the release of "Supermodel" as a single was not a smart business decision.

Writing and inspiration

"Supermodel" was written by David Baerwald, David Kitay, Brian MacLeod, and Kristen Vigard for the soundtrack to the 1995 film Clueless. The song was conceptualized after Karyn Rachtman, the film's music supervisor, hired Baerwald to write a "fresher" song as a replacement to David Bowie's "Fashion", which was originally set to play during a makeover scene in the film.[1] The writers intended for "Supermodel" to sound as though "it came out of the mouths of teenage girls,"[2] as they were specifically tasked with a writing a song that captured the essence of the world surrounding the film's main character, teenage fashionista Cher Horowitz.[3] In an effort to make the song sound authentic, Baerwald reviewed several issues of the teen magazine Sassy, in which he lifted multiple lines from the letter to the editors for inclusion in "Supermodel".[2] Speaking on the song's lyrics, Baerwald commented: "Every demographic has its way of talking, and I wanted to capture a sense of the rhythm and the kinds of things girls were talking about. I thought Sassy was really cool!"[3]

In 1995, Rachtman approached Sobule to ask if she would be interested in recording "Supermodel". Sobule was initially hesitant to accept the offer, as she had taken no part in writing the song and she believed Clueless to be a mindless teen comedy film.[4] Sobule, however, changed her mind after viewing a pre-screening of the film, in which she reevaluated it as a feminist work.[5] Frustrated that her previous single "I Kissed a Girl" was promoted as a novelty song, Sobule agreed to perform "Supermodel" on the condition that she could add her own flair to it.[4] Sobule added a guitar solo and a bridge that referenced her past struggles with an eating disorder.[2] According to Sobule, the bridge was intended to act as a commentary on the beauty-industrial complex.[6] Despite these additions, Sobule did not receive any songwriting credit for "Supermodel". Speaking on being uncredited as a songwriter, Sobule commented: "It doesn’t bother me now, but I think it was kind of shitty and I don’t know if I’ve ever said that. I wish I would have been more proactive and talked to the writers directly."[2]

Release and reception

"Supermodel" was first released on July 18, 1995, on the soundtrack to the film Clueless.[7] Following the release of the soundtrack, Sobule reissued her self-titled second studio album on August 1, 1995, with the addition of "Supermodel".[8] On July 8, 1995, Capitol Records vice president of marketing Tom Corson announced that "Supermodel" would likely be released as the third single from the Clueless soundtrack.[9] The song was ultimately released to contemporary hit radio as the third single from the soundtrack and the second single from Sobule's album on August 22.[10] Since the song's release, Sobule and other acts involved with the song have voiced their regret over its release as a single. In 1997, Lava Records Chairman Jason Flom stated that he felt as though "Supermodel" was a "smart choice" at the time of release, although he believed it ultimately killed any momentum Sobule had following the success of her previous single, "I Kissed a Girl".[11] Despite Rachtman recruiting Sobule for "Supermodel", she later claimed that the song's release "might have been the death of [Sobule's] career."[3] Speaking on the song's release as a single, Sobule commented: "I have not always made the best business decisions."[2]

"Supermodel" received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Larry Flick of Billboard noted the "tongue-in-cheek flair" of the song, in which he commented that "the sarcastic undertone will smack all but the superficial in the face."[12] Also from Billboard, Kenneth Partridge praised the "brisk rocker" and referred to the song's bridge as "the most scathing series of lines in an alt-rock novelty whose sarcasm doesn’t spoil the party."[7] Roch Parisien of AllMusic referred to "Supermodel" as a "wry, deadpan" song, in which he highlighted the song's bridge.[13] Gabriela Tully Claymore of Stereogum praised "Supermodel" as the most memorable song from the Clueless soundtrack. She particularly praised Sobule's addition of the bridge, which she believed "turned the track from a defiant jab at superficial teen culture into a pointed critique of body-image standards."[14] Commercially, "Supermodel" achieved minimal success in Australia. On January 14, 1996, the song entered the ARIA Charts where it spent a total of five weeks. "Supermodel" reached a peak position of number 53 on the chart.[15]

Music video

Background

The video was filmed in July 1995 over the course of the 24th and 25th; Sobule had to cancel two tour dates as the director was only available to work on the video over these two dates.[16] Sobule sought control over the video's direction, in which she opted to satirize the 1976 supernatural horror film Carrie. In the video, Sobule takes on a similar role to the film's title character, as she portrays a school outcast that has supernatural powers.[17] The video's only reference to Clueless is a brief introductory scene featuring two of the film's characters, Cher and Di, walking to class. According to Sobule, Lava Records was unhappy that she did not incorporate more of the film's fashion into the video. In 2020, Sobule acknowledged that she felt not tying the song's video to the movie was a mistake.[2]

Synopsis

The video starts with a brief scene from the film Clueless, in which characters Cher and Di walk side-by-side to class while talking on their cell phones. The video then cuts to Sobule portraying an outcast named Jill White, who is intentionally tripped by a group of gossiping girls in the school hallway. As the first verse begins, the video intercuts between scenes of Sobule performing with a band on stage and her character using supernatural powers to start the fire sprinklers above the group of girls. The video then cuts to White daydreaming about a boy during class. After being scolded by her teacher for doing so, she uses her supernatural powers to throw him across the classroom. As the video continues to intercut between scenes of Sobule playing with her band, the video depicts an advertisement for a "Supermodel of the Future" contest and White finds out she was nominated as a contestant. As the song's bridge begins, the video cuts to the contest in the school's gymnasium, where it is revealed that White won. As she is crowned, however, another student dumps a hidden bucket of blood onto White. In retaliation, White uses her supernatural powers to lock the doors of the gymnasium and set the school on fire.[17]

Track listings and formats
  1. "Supermodel"  – 3:10
  2. "Trains"  – 3:44
  3. "Queen of Spades"  – 3:21

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the Jill Sobule album liner notes.[19]

Charts
Peak chart positions of "Supermodel"
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 53

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States August 22, 1995 (1995-08-22) Contemporary hit radio Lava [10]

References
  1. Lee Lenker, Maureen (February 10, 2019). "Makeover Magic: The secrets behind your favorite romantic comedy makeovers". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  2. Carlin, Shannon (July 21, 2020). "The Untold History Behind The Clueless Original Song "Supermodel"". Refinery29. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  3. Mapes, Jillian (July 17, 2015). "'Just a Girl' Should Have Been a Hit From 'Clueless,' and Other Behind-the-Scenes Secrets from the Soundtrack". Flavorwire. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  4. Beery, Zoë (April 6, 2015). "'Supermodel' Singer Jill Sobule Remembers Nineties New York". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  5. Gharnit, Yasmeen (April 9, 2015). "'90s Icon Jill Sobule on Her Pivotal 'Clueless' Song". Nylon. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  6. Locker, Melissa (April 7, 2015). "The Clueless Soundtrack Is Turning 20". Time. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  7. Partridge, Kenneth (July 19, 2015). "'Clueless' at 20: Revisiting the Soundtrack With a Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  8. "Jill Sobule Releases Her New Album Again". MTV News. July 13, 1995. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  9. Atwood, Brett (July 8, 1995). "Modern Rock Featured on 'Clueless' Soundtrack". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 27. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 78. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  10. "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. August 18, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  11. Mirkin, Steve (February 15, 1997). "Atlantic Geared Up for 2nd Sobule Set". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 7. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  12. Flick, Larry (July 22, 1995). "Single Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 29. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 57. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  13. Parisien, Roch (July 18, 1995). "Clueless – Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  14. Tully Claymore, Gabriela (July 17, 2015). "The Clueless Soundtrack Turns 20". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  15. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 259.
  16. "Jill Sobule Cancels Dates to Shoot Vid". MTV News. July 25, 1995. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  17. Ali, Lorraine (September 3, 1995). "Is Rock 'n' Roll Dead? It Depends Whom You Ask : While Neil Young and Lenny Kravitz debate the question, Bjork steals the ratings with some music that's really retro". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  18. Supermodel (Australian CD single liner notes). Jill Sobule. Lava Records. 1995. 7567957352.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. Jill Sobule (United States CD liner notes). Jill Sobule. Lava Records. 1995. 92620-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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