Stupid Girl is a song by Garbage from their self-titled debut studio album (1995), released as single in January 22, 1996. The song was written and produced by band members Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig. “Stupid Girl” features lyrics about a young woman’s ambivalence and is a musical arrangement centered on a repetitive bassline and a drum sample from the Clash‘s 1980 song “Train in Vain”.
The song was released by Almo Sounds in North America, and Mushroom Records worldwide, as the band’s fourth international single in 1996. Stupid Girl became the band’s highest-charting single in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with its performance on the charts driven by an innovative music video and remixes that gained massive airplay across the world. The success of Stupid Girl propelled sales of its parent album Garbage into the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
Reviews of the song were positive, with praise for the production. “Stupid Girl” was nominated for two Grammy Awards, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, as well as the Danish Grammy for Best Rock Song, an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song.
Tracklist:
- Stupid Girl
- Butterfly Collector
- Trip My Wire
The music video for Stupid Girl was filmed on January 16, 1996, in a Los Angeles warehouse by director Samuel Bayer. The four-hour shoot took place after filming the “Only Happy When It Rains“ music video. The Stupid Girl video was given a smaller budget, as Almo Sounds believed that “Only Happy When It Rains” would be more commercially successful than Stupid Girl. According to Manson, the other band members were drunk and exhausted after three days shooting the first video.
The Stupid Girl video debuted internationally on February 1, 1996, and in North America on May 5. MTV added the video the week of May 13 and certified Stupid Girl a Buzz Clip. It was the band’s third consecutive video to be guaranteed heavy airplay on the network. VH1 added the video in early September and featured it in a Pop-Up Video episode.
Garbage
Shirley Manson: vocals, guitar
Steve Marker: guitars, bass, samples, loops
Duke Erikson: guitars, keyboards, six-string bass, fuzz bass
Butch Vig: drums, loops, noise, EFX
