Late Thursday night, celestial creature and Vapid Fluff regular St Vincent released her latest song, downtrodden ballad “New York.” You’ve heard it; your ex sent it to you that night, followed by a ? emoji.
“New York isn’t New York without you, love / So far in a few blocks to be so low / And if I call you from First Avenue / Where you’re the only motherfucker in this city who can handle me,” Clark sings mournfully, and the entire world stops. I’m not even a huge St Vincent fan and this song completely ruined me.
So who’s the song about? Clark has famously dated musician/actress Carrie Brownstein, model/actress Cara Delevingne and actress/sulkmonster Kristen Stewart (she was also rumored to be involved with musician Lissy Trullie in or around 2009). Is the song about heartbreaker Carrie Brownstein? Both performers are notoriously private, and although tabloids love to speculate about the breakup being less than amicable, little is known about their relationship or its demise.
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/tumblr_mly7i8vlgm1rtfsvso1_500.jpg?resize=500%2C425)
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/VF13/WireImage)
Of these, it seems that her most intense relationship was with Delevingne, with whom Clark was rumored to be engaged; the two seem to have remained good friends. As far as we know, all clues seem to point in this direction.
“New love wasn’t true love, back to you, love / So much for a home run with some blue bloods / If I last-strawed you on Eighth Avenue / Where you’re the only motherfucker in the city who can stand me.” Story checks out!
Remember when Cara and Annie broke up and then Annie was almost immediately spotted walking down Astor Place with Kristen Stewart in matchy-matchy outfits? And then five minutes later that relationship was over too, and Cara and Annie were seen out together in LA? I do.
Currently in LA @st_vincent and @Caradelevingne are enjoying dinner with family and friends. Cara spending Christmas in Dallas or nah? pic.twitter.com/Cp7RR5RS9t
— ridll (@ridll) December 14, 2016
“New York isn’t New York without you, love / Too few of our old crew left on Astor / So if I trade our ‘hood for some Hollywood / Where you’re the only motherfucker in the city who would / Only motherfucker in the city who would / Only motherfucker in the city who’d forgive me.”
Cara, if you’re out there, don’t fuck it up.
Ok but like what about Rooney Mara? I think there’s a plausible timeline where they met before they were really famous (citing the Interview Magazine article where St. Vincent interviewed Rooney) and maybe had a weird, unresolved fling but stayed close friends and this song is a last-ditch love letter as she watches Rooney date Joaquin Phoenix while getting progressively gayer haircuts. “New love wasn’t true love, back to you, love / So much for a home run with some blue bloods” The Maras are a New York dynasty – I mean, c’mon, what more proof do you need?
WOWOWOWOW
I. LOVE. THIS. Honestly, there is no way Rooney Mara is straight. I can’t prove it, but I can feel it, so this is official in my heart.
I just read that Interview interview. She opens it by saying, “Hey, Roon-dog.” And she gave her guitar lessons.
That’s enough evidence for me.
Kate, for some reason Alanis Morrissette’s “Uninvited” is the song stuck in my ear to your headcanon.
That sounds solid to me.
OMG that interview is everything I never realized I wanted. Rooney Mara is so cute and I love her crush on Cate Blanchett and the whole interview is just some kind of amazing. Read it here: http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/rooney-mara-november-2015
But it seems like a break up song and she wrote it while still with Cara D, there’s a video of her performing it in June 2016. Also sounds like its about someone she knew / has known for a long time…I am not normally this stalkerish but I LOVE St Vincent! And gay stuff.
Rooney Mara theory above is my new fav
All the dollars on it being Carrie. Hero? Come on! Maybe that’s just me, but, yeah.
Agreed, the hero line (ugh Carrie break my heart tho)
Annie first played this song in June 2016 while dressed as a toilet (yes, really, there’s video of it). Now, Annie and Cara didn’t break up until September 2016 (three months after this song’s debut), so it’s probably not about her.
That being said, if it’s NOT about Cara there’s a lot of unanswered questions, mainly:
1) Why did Annie write/perform this very sad breakup song while still dating Cara?
2) Did Annie’s inability to get over whoever this song is about contribute to the aforementioned breakup with Cara? (Probably)
I also like the Rooney Mara theory above, but will also entertain the idea that it’s about some non-celesbian.
i think it’s about all my breakups over the past 10 years tbh
STEF LET’S DANCE TO THIS AT THE CUBBYHOLE SEE YOU THERE THURS NIGHT BYE
WHAT
I have many Rooney/Annie feelings and I blame all of them on a certain podcast.
i need to listen to this podcast ASAP
and i also meant to ask, which podcast??
Hahaha https://soundcloud.com/user-482987797/tracks enjoy :D
The older one has Rooney/Annie feels, and the newer one has Rooney’s secret all girl party info.
yeeeee!
I don’t know who’s doing whom but it does my old gay heart good to actually see famous women be open about their relationships with other women.
i love this
+1
I’m old enough to remember when Rita Mae Brown writing Sudden Death about Martina was a BIG DEAL. Otherwise, those “is she or isn’t she” conversations were so frustrating, and yet our only way to gather up those public affirmation crumbs.
I mean, sure, it still goes on, but I’m so glad there’s so much less of that garbage.
Well, this fits perfectly after “Call Your Girlfriend” in my Sad Ass Songs To Dance To playlist.
Thank you, Stef.