Rogue Smoke

"Rogue Smoke" is a song by British recording artist Alesha, from her tenth studio album afterhours (2015). The song was written by Aurora Reed, who also contributes vocals to the single version. The remixed version of the song was released as the third single from afterhours on November 30, 2015. The lyrics are inspired by feminism and self-empowerment.

Ahead of the album's release, Alesha revealed that she had approached Aurora Reed to write a song for afterhours (following two autonomously written and produced albums). Alesha praised Reed's artistry and talent, while Reed later commented that it was an "honor" to work with Alesha. Reed later mentioned that Alesha had shown her "lots of reference points and mood boards" to convey the concept of the album. Reed said, the song is "the story about how successful girls don't think twice about following their dreams," pinpointing Alesha as a "prime example of starting from nowhere and getting to the top."

The album version of the song carries the same New Wave ambience as the rest of afterhours, combining sharp stabs of guitar and slow, droning synths over live drums. Upon the album's release, "Rogue Smoke" was received positively by music critics who particularly praised Reed's songwriting and widely acclaimed Alesha's performance. For the single version, the drum instrumentation was replaced by a trap-influenced beat whilst retaining a brooding atmosphere with the guitar and synthesizer. The remix was premiered through a performance at the 27th Urapopstar Awards, which Alesha and Reed hosted, on October 25.

Background
In January 2015, Alesha personally approached Aurora Reed to contribute songwriting to a song from her upcoming tenth studio album. Having written and produced The Martyr (2011) and Alesha (2014) entirely on her own, Alesha felt the need to reach out to another artist. "I could see back then when she asked me to contribute to the album what she was going for," Reed later commented. "She had a lot of reference points and mood boards." The pair met in Alesha's home studio in London in March 2015. Ultimately, "Rogue Smoke" was the final song written for afterhours, which had largely been demoed between June and November 2014.

Music and lyrics
Musically, the album version of "Rogue Smoke" reflects a more alternative, New Wave sound like much of afterhours. The song consists of "slow, droning synths and sharp stabs of guitar." The guitar section in the song was inspired by gothic rock band The Cure. According to Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone, "Alesha's voice finds itself somewhere between an introspective whisper and a seductive come-on." Reed revealed that the inspiration behind the song is "the climb to the top. It's that moment in the chick flick where the woman gets into a taxi and sees Vegas, New York for the first time." Reed went on to describe Alesha as "the prime example of starting from nowhere and getting to the top." She further explained:

"It's the story about how successful girls don't think twice about following their dreams. No matter who gets caught in the crossfire. So in that sense it's not really an inspirational song. It's a bit apathetic. The guy in the song could be amazing, he could be an absolute cunt. The point is it's not about him. It's about no bitch getting in the way of your dreams. It's about the calling of the city and the fame and the debauchery that follows it."

Following the release of afterhours, Alesha approached Aurora Reed with the idea of collaborating on a single version of "Rogue Smoke". Keeping in line with Reed's more urban audience, as well as staying on top of current music trends, Alesha opted to replace the live drum instrumentation in the song with a trap-influenced beat. "When I heard the new instrumental, and what Alesha wanted for the song, then I had to put my spin on it," Reed said. The single remix features new verses from Reed, including an introduction. Alesha dubbed Reed "the perfect partner in crime."

Reception
The album version of "Rogue Smoke" was praised as a highlight of afterhours, with critics claiming that Aurora Reed's songwriting had captured the effervescence and artistry of Alesha well. The remixed version featuring Reed herself received generally positive reviews, with praise from music critics directed at Reed's guest verses and the reworked instrumental. George Seabrook of The Edge awarded the song four and half stars out of five, and called it "glorious" and "intoxicating". He praised the song for "Reed's simple, brutally effective verses" and acknowledged the collaboration as "not just one more meaningless stunt collaboration, but a powerful new duo."

"Rogue Smoke" topped the digital and airplay charts. It entered the official singles chart at number two, behind Ashley!'s "See The World". Between purchases of the album version and the official single remix, first week sales came in at 117,866. In its second week, "Rogue Smoke" remained at the runner-up spot and received a silver certification. After dipping to number four in its third week, "Rogue Smoke" returned to the top three a week later and achieved gold status. By its fifth week in the chart, the single had shifted 203,427 units. "Rogue Smoke" spent seven weeks in the top ten. It was certified platinum (with sales of 507,414) in its seventh week. "Rogue Smoke" spent another six weeks in the top 20 as sales surged past the 600,000 threshold. Following "Number One", "In Love Today" and "M4M", "Rogue Smoke" became Alesha's fourth consecutive single to sell over 600,000 copies (the streak is broken if you consider her 2015 Gianni EP). Ultimately, "Rogue Smoke" has sold 637,564 copies in its 16 weeks on the chart.

Music video
On Thursday, October 29, Alesha appeared on BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw and discussed the "Rogue Smoke" music video. She revealed that French collective Megaforce had directed the video, which would also star Reed. "For anyone who said Aurora and I had good chemistry at the awards, I think you'll really see it in the video," Alesha said. She cited a quote from Jean-Luc Goddard: "All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl." Alesha told Wonderland magazine that they were "this close" to going with fashion photographer Steven Klein as director. Tabloids have suggested that the budget for the video is "in the millions." Ultimately, a video for "Rogue Smoke" never premiered. This is the second time Alesha has filmed a big-budget music video that never saw the light of day, following 2009's "The Pretty Ones".

Track listing and formats

 * Digital single
 * 1) "Rogue Smoke" (Remix feat. Aurora Reed)
 * 2) "Caballero"


 * CD / Digital EP
 * 1) "Rogue Smoke" (album version)
 * 2) "Caballero"
 * 3) "Rogue Smoke" (Remix feat. Aurora Reed)
 * 4) "Rogue Smoke" (Alex Metric Remix feat. Aurora Reed)