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.