By: Ipek Kozanoglu

Cigarettes after sex… Before? After? I wouldn’t know because I don’t smoke but what I do know is that this new band is beyond amazing. My new addiction in music has to be the band Cigarettes After Sex. It gives the same vibes as Lana del Rey: melancholic, subtle, relaxing and speaking to all your emotions at the same time. Can be late night music, can be study music, can be sad Sunday music. You choose. It can be many things. So if you want a male version of Lana del Rey then this band is for you. Sort of.

How did I discover this band you will ask. Well, after following 1450 accounts on Instagram one of them is bound to put up the screenshot of the cover of their favourite band/ song from their Itunes on their story at some point. Whether it be a friend or a famous person you do discover new bands and new songs pretty quickly and easily this way (a tip from me for the future if you’re looking for music to lighten up your playlist). So where did this group with this very interesting name come from?

Cigarettes after Sex is an ‘ambient pop’ band from Texas formed in 2008 by Greg Gonzales who is also the lead vocal of the band. The band’s debut was in 2012 with the record “I” that had singles that are my personal favourites “Nothing’s Going to Hurt You Baby” which you might have heard in the Handmaid’s Tale episode 7 and “Starry Eyes”. Other songs such as “K” and “Affection” where added later on in 2015-16. The band became popular after being featured under ‘music recommendations’ section on Youtube several times. Cigarettes After Sex is a band with huge potential of reaching up the scale of Lana del Rey. It has surged in success since 2008 and definitely has space for development.

The music is dream-like, ‘hazy’ and ‘romantic’ with a hint of ‘noir edge underneath Gonzalez’s androgynous voice’ while also being ‘sentimental and sweet’ according to Christina Cacouris who made this statement in Noisey. As the name suggests, Cigarettes after Sex, presents that mood and atmosphere of lying in bed listlessly or being in a dream like idle state. It’s for contemplating as well as for zoning out of troubles for a time. There is something reassuring about listening to Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby, that makes me feel like in the end, whatever I am going through everything will turn out to be OK. Gonzales has a way with music, it turns out that can make you feel fine about almost anything. Some of the lyrics are off-putting with cringy sexual references but the music itself is beyond this world. So much so that some fans even came up to Gonzales as told him how his songs helped them with sleep anxiety. How cool is that? Talk about musical therapy or remedy.

Whatever you call it this stuff is magic that transports you out of this world. The music does make you feel array of emotions all at the same time. But it definitely speaks to you and makes you contemplate about life or your current mood. Listen to Cigarettes after Sex and I guarantee that you will say to yourself as I said to myself “How come did I never stumbled upon this band?” and then all you know is that it is on repeat on a gloomy Sunday night while you’re on bed dreading Monday or that upcoming essay.

ST.ART Magazine does not own the rights to any of the images used in this article.