"Gibson Girl" is a song written, produced, and recorded by American singer-songwriter and record producer Ethel Cain for her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter (2022). It was released on March 17, 2022, as the album's lead single.
A sexy and suspenseful song, it explores "fresh aspects of femme energy".[1] "Gibson Girl" was included on the set list of The Freezer Bride Tour (2022) and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour (2023), her first and second concert tours as a headliner, respectively.[2]
Background and composition
Alongside the release of "Gibson Girl", on March 17, 2022, the singer announced her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter, which was stated to release on May 12.[3] Lyrically, the song "deals with being under the microscope and how patriarchal systems can lead to issues of self-worth".[1]
In a press release about the song, Cain said:
"Being a woman is about never quite reaching a goal that someone else set for you. Under pressure to fit an impossible standard, I find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to be perfect in a way I can't ever possibly achieve. I've always been in love with Evelyn Nesbit, the Gibson Girl, and thought she was the absolute pinnacle of feminine poise and grace. Whenever I start to lose myself and forget what I'm capable of, I just turn to her and she's the greatest reminder"[3]
Critical reception
The song was described by Flood Magazine as "sexy and suspenseful".[4] Cain's vocals in "Gibson Girl" were compared to those of alternative pop singer Banks, "but with a more sinister tone akin to Miguel".[4]
