"Red Lips" is a song by American singer Sky Ferreira from her second extended play (EP), Ghost (2012). It was released on July 17, 2012, by Capitol Records. The song was written and produced by Greg Kurstin, with additional songwriting provided by Shirley Manson. "Red Lips" is a pop rock song that describes the emotional deterioration of an individual that Ferreira disliked. It differs from the previous electropop styles displayed in her earlier works; this was deliberately done to prevent Ferreira from being branded in a similar fashion as Britney Spears, which she felt that Capitol Records had intended to do. Despite Ghost itself garnering mixed reviews, "Red Lips" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its overall production. However, the track failed to impact any national record charts. An accompanying music video for "Red Lips" was directed by Terry Richardson, and was premiered through Richardson's YouTube channel on June 12, 2012. Critics directed their commentaries towards Ferreira's increasingly risqué public persona, shifting from the more innocent image with which she launched her career. Background and composition With her debut studio album having been frequently delayed throughout the early 2010s, Ferreira released her second extended play Ghost on October 2, 2012, while simultaneously continuing production of her full-length album. "Red Lips" appears as the fourth of five songs on the track listing; a preview of the song was first released through YouTube earlier that February. "Red Lips" was later heard on the television series Gossip Girl, during the episode "Save the Last Chance" from its sixth and final season on November 26, 2012. "Red Lips" was written and produced by Greg Kurstin, with additional songwriting provided by Shirley Manson. Ferreira first collaborated with Kurstin on her demo track "Femme Fatale", and first came into contact with Manson through her Myspace profile which she had been uploading her music on. They were concerned that her record label intended to brand her like Britney Spears; these conversations prompted Manson to offer Ferreira the track "Red Lips". She made lyrical adjustments to remove slang commonly used in British English, including the term "taking a piss", to better suit the American Ferreira. The track incorporates pop rock and grunge musical styles, becoming a departure from the electropop elements explored in her earlier tracks. "Red Lips" also includes prominent guitar instrumentation, which Michael Cragg from The Guardian felt signaled a musical transition for