"Lady Like" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Ingrid Andress Ingrid Elizabeth Andress (born September 21, 1991) is an American country pop singer-songwriter. She has released two albums: '' Lady Like'' (2020) and '' Good Person'' (2022). She has achieved commercial success with " More Hearts Than Mine" (2 ...

from her debut studio album of the same name (2020). It was written by Andress, Sam Ellis and Derrick Southerland, with Andress and Ellis handling the production. The track was originally released as Andress' debut single under Warner Music Nashville for digital download and

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on February 22, 2019, and was later re-released as the third single off her debut album in October 2020 by the aforementioned label. A

country pop Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...

song, "Lady Like" is about resisting

gender stereotypes A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gendered ...

. Andress wrote the song after going out with a man who rejected her when she started talking about politics. She also used her personal experiences of being expected to act like a woman as inspiration for the track. "Lady Like" received widespread acclaim from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

, who complimented Andress' lyricism as well as the song's feminist message, with some deeming it an "anthem". Commercially, the track reached the top forty on both ''

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Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, ...

and

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charts. It was also certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) and

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(MC). Two music videos were filmed to promote the song, both depicting Andress refusing to engage in different tasks which women are expected to perform. The videos received praise for how they incorporated the song's lyrics into visual imagery. For further promotion, Andress performed the song on several occasions, including on

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...

and at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.

Background and release

Andress graduated from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 2013 and was advised by her professor, American songwriter

Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...

, to move to

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to pursue a songwriting career. She was signed to DioGuardi's

music publishing A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers began to play a role in the management of the intellectua ...

company,

Arthouse Entertainment Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...

, and began composing among other songwriters. Under Arthouse Entertainment, she released her debut single " The Stranger" in February 2017. Andress' contribution to

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

's "

Boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...

" (2017) and Fletcher's "About You" (2019) caught the attention of record label Warner Music Nashville, and in 2018 the label signed her as a recording artist. Andress wrote "Lady Like" with Sam Ellis and Derrick Southerland, and produced it alongside Ellis. The song was recorded at Rosebank Studio. It was released as Andress's debut single under Warner Music Nashville on February 22, 2019 for digital download and

by the former label. Talking to Annie Reuter of ''

'', Andress revealed that she chose to release "Lady Like" as her first single over " More Hearts Than Mine" (2019) as she considered that it represented her the best. On October 5, 2020, the song was re-released as the third single off her debut album '' Lady Like'', when it was sent to

country radio Country radio refers to radio stations that play country music. Most country radio stations are commercial radio stations. Most country radio stations usually play only music which has been officially released to country radio by record labels. T ...

stations by Warner Music Nashville. Furthermore, she recorded a "reimagined" version of the track for her short film ''A Lady Like That'' (2021) alongside an all-female orchestra.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Lady Like" is a

song. Andress told '' CMT'' that she came up with the track after going out with a man who turned her down after she brought the topic of politics up. The track is about defying

. Andress further clarified that a past experience which inspired her to write the song was when she first experienced being expected to confirm to gender stereotypes, which was when she began attending public school after being home-schooled. Moreover, she added in an interview with ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

'' that the song was also inspired by her moving to Nashville where she was frequently criticized for not acting feminine. The song "really came from that frustration" but simultaneously felt "liberating". The track begins with the lyrics "I drink tequila straight / Haven't brushed my hair in days / And I'll kiss on the first date if I'm really feeling it / I don't even own a dress / Bite my nails when I get stressed / Do whatever for attention if I'm needing it", which have been described by Jael Goldfine of ''

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'' as "unapologetic non-confessions". ''

Taste of Country Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...

'' Cillea Houghton claimed that the track sees Andress "fully embracing her IDGAF attitude and raising a metaphorical middle finger to the stereotypes that suppress women". Jof Owen from ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' expressed a similar opinion, stating that Andress is " heshit talking straight tequila drinking nail biting no-fucks-giving 'lady' who refuses to be 'ladylike' just to align with other people’s expectations of her".

Reception and commercial performance

"Lady Like" received widespread acclaim from

. Goldfine praised Andress' lyricism and vocal delivery. She described the song as "a classic girl power anthem", likening it to other tracks with feminist themes such as

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...

's "

Just a Girl "Just a Girl" is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, ''Tragic Kingdom'' (1995). Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and prod ...

" and

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Lily Allen, Her accolades include a Brit Award, alongside nominations for a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivi ...

's " Hard out Here". Similarly, ''Billboard'' Reuter called the song " nempowerment anthem". Interviewing Andress for CMT, Samantha Stephens also complimented the lyrics. Stephens stated that "Lady Like" will become "an undeniable anthem for women and folks everywhere, and a much-needed reminder that the only path to follow as a woman in the world is the one you’re walking". Bobby Moore, writing for '' The Boot'', claimed that Andress "captures the lyrical candidness" of the track. Owen compared the song to

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...

's of

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...

lyric "just do what you want, but make sure you do it like a lady" and deemed it a "

fourth-wave feminist Fourth-wave feminism is a feminist movement that began around 2012 and is characterized by a focus on the empowerment of women, the use of internet tools, and intersectionality. According to Rosemary Clark-Parsons, digital platforms have allowe ...

anthem". Robert Crawford of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' included the track on the publication's list of 10 Best Country and Americana Songs of the Week. He regarded it as a "slow-burning anthem of independence" for women and their right "to be outspoken". Reviewing Andress' debut album, Houghton listed "Lady Like" as "the album's crowning jewel". Justin Cober-Lake from ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' declared that the chorus "never loses its distinctness" among other modern pop songs. Commercially, "Lady Like" peaked at number thirty-three on ''Billboard''

chart and at number thirty-nine on the

chart. The song received a gold certification by the

(RIAA) on September 10, 2021. Although it did not enter the Canadian charts, the track was certified gold by

(MC).

Promotion

Music videos

Two music videos were filmed for the song. The first one was uploaded to Andress'

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel on March 8, 2019 and was directed by Emma Higgins. The video begins with Andress performing "ladylike" tasks, specifically balancing books on her head and doing laundry. She is then shown

manspreading "Manspreading" or "man-sitting" is a pejorative neologism referring to the practice of men sitting in public transport with legs wide apart, thereby covering more than one seat.Cathy YoungManspreading'? But women hog subway space, too", ''Newsda ...

at a poker game with other men and for a moment she exchanges winks with a "punk"

Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, ...

. Afterwards, Andress is playing a piano and singing in a "mini jungle". The video was originally planned to be filmed in a desert, but due to weather conditions, it was instead filmed in a studio in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The second music video was released on March 10, 2021 on Andress' YouTube channel and was directed by Lauren Dunn. In the video, Andress is surrounded by greenery and carries out various activities which she considers to break stereotypes, including crushing eggshells while wearing boots and burning a bra. She is further accompanied by background dancers. In an interview with ''

Nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

'', Andress stated that the reason why she chose to put out a second video for the song was because "a lot has happened in the two years since heput 'Lady Like' out". She wanted her fans of being capable of seeing where she's "now as a human".

Reception

Both music videos received praise for their visuals. Stephens considered that the first music video "provides the perfect visual" for the song's lyrics, while Goldfine called the visual imagery "on the nose, but gratifying". Chris Parton of ''Sounds Like Nashville'' said that Andress "boldly rejected the old-school notion of womanhood" by choosing to publish the music video on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

. Parton added that she performed in the music video "all with big dose of 'ladylike' poise". Regarding the second video, writing for ''

ABC News Online ABC News, also known as ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service covers both local and world affairs, broadcasting both nationally as ABC News, and across the Asia- ...

'', Houghton described Andress making way through gender stereotypes in "eclectic, yet subtle ways". Houghton found it to be "elegant".

Live performances

Andress performed "Lady Like" for the first time in April 2019 on the late-night talk show

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire variety talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing w ...

. In the same year she sang the track live at

Vevo Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...

. On March 23, 2020, she performed the song at YouTube Space New York. The singer also sang "Lady Like" on several occasions in 2021, on

, the

Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...

, and at the 2021 CMT Music Awards. For her Feeling Things Tour (20212022), Andress included the song on the setlist for the November 18, 2021, show. As part of

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...

The Speed of Now World Tour The Speed of Now World Tour was the thirteenth headlining concert tour by New Zealand-born Australian country music artist Keith Urban. The tour is in support of his eleventh studio album, ''The Speed of Now Part 1'' (2020). It began on 28 April ...

(2022), "Lady Like" was one of the songs Andress performed at

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on September 23.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Lady Like''. Recording and management *Recorded at Rosebank Studio (Nashville, Tennessee) *Mixed at Larrabee Studios (North Hollywood, California) *Mastered at Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) *Published by Songs of Universal Inc. / What Is an Ingrid / Straight from the Art Music / Songs for a Stone Heart / Universal Music Corp. / Happy Rock Publishing ( BMI) Personnel * Sam Ellissongwriter, producer, acoustic guitar,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...

, piano, keyboards,

programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

*Ingrid Andresslead vocals, songwriting, producer *Derrick Southerlandsongwriter *

Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...

mixing *Chris Gallandmixing engineer *Robin Florentmixing engineer assistant *Scott Desmaraismixing engineer assistant *Devin Malone

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

*Andrew Mendelson mastering

Track listing

*Digital download #"Lady Like"3:14 *Digital download – Deepend Remix #"Lady LikeDeepend Remix" – 3:05 #"Lady Like"3:14 #"Lady LikeThe Rosebank Acoustic Sessions" – 3:15 *American 7" vinyl #"Lady Like" #"Lady Like (Acoustic)"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Ingrid Andress 2019 singles 2020 singles 2019 songs Ingrid Andress songs Songs written by Ingrid Andress Warner Records Nashville singles Atlantic Records singles Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Sam Ellis (songwriter)