to DreamWorks. Musicians Melissa Auf der Maur and Teddy Thompson also appear on the album, as does Wainwright's sister Martha Wainwright. Several tracks were produced by Greg Wells, Alex Gifford, Ethan Johns, and Damian LeGassick. The album took a year and a half to record – half the time it took him to record his first album. According to Wainwright, Poses grew thematically out of its title track, which was inspired by his residency at New York City's infamous Chelsea Hotel. Referring to his stay there, he recalled: "I went to all these parties and met all these people and found that, basically, it's like a big revolving door. I thought if I could look at it as a series of poses and extract from it what I needed for my songs, then I would survive." Describing his writing process, Wainwright stated he typically comes up with a melody line and starts singing phonetically, from which words often appear. To promote the album prior to its release, Wainwright embarked on a tour throughout the United States and Canada. Songs and themes Debauchery is a primary theme throughout the album, stemming from Wainwright's struggles with addiction and quest for fame. "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" best reflects this motif, directly addressing decadence and desire ("Everything it seems I like's a little bit sweeter/A little bit fatter, a little bit harmful for me"). The song has been called an "ode to subtle addictions and the way our compulsions rule our lives." The music video for "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", directed by Giles Dunning and released by DreamWorks in 2001, features Wainwright performing the song at a piano inside a warehouse and scenes of him walking around New York City. Asserting that successful pop albums evoke a particular lifestyle that other people have experienced, Rolling Stones Ben Ratliff claims Poses does just that, manifesting the "young, gay, narcissistic achiever in New York". "But", Ratliff clarifies, "the Chelsea Boy is only a magnified version of practically every kid new to a big city who's got a job and an apartment and worries about weekend plans: The Chelsea Boy just has sharper clothes, higher standards of beauty and a better tradition of mordant humor to console himself with." An "ode to queer love", "Greek Song" touches on beauty, passion, and adventure while incorporating Asian string instruments. The melody was taken from the "Cherry Duet" in Pietro