She released four albums and three EPs without any label support via Bandcamp from 2012-2014, and gathered a large following on blogging platform Tumblr, where she would also post song demos and covers. In 2015, Canadian artist Grimes discovered her music via the site, and created Eerie Organization, an artist collective/incubator for the release of Dollanganger's fifth album Natural Born Losers, stating that it was a crime for it not to be heard, and that Dollanganger is North America's greatest living songwriter. Grimes also invited Dollanganger on her Rhinestone Cowgirls tour, where they both opened for Lana Del Rey. Natural Born Losers also marked the beginning of Dollanganger's collaboration with Matthew Tomasi, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and co-founder of indie label Homie Shit Magazine.
Following these successes, Dollanganger's first four albums were re-released digitally via GTR Records, and physically via Run for Cover Records, in 2016. In 2018, she released her sixth album, Heart Shaped Bed, through Eerie Organization. It was co-produced by Matt Tomasi, and included a finished version of her song "Chapel," which made an appearance in TV series The Walking Dead in 2016 and remains one of her most popular songs. In order to promote the album, she also released music videos for her songs Lemonade, Heart Shaped Bed, and Lacrymaria Olor, all directed by Mac Boucher, brother of Grimes.
In 2019, Nicole Dollanganger befriended Ethel Cain after hearing her cover of "Poacher's Pride" on Tumblr, and invited her to open for her performance at Beat Kitchen in Chicago. Through Dollanganger, Ethel Cain met Matt Tomasi, who later released two of her EPs on CD and cassette through his label, and co-produced the tracks "Ptolemaea" and "August Underground" on her debut album.
In January 2023, Nicole Dollanganger released her highly-anticipated seventh album, Married in Mount Airy.
Ugly
Nicole Dollanganger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Humiliation in your eyes when you told me
Well I'm gonna find them
Don't you worry
I'll make sure
They're really fucking sorry
You said you're embarassed of your body
Well my love I know you don't see
What I see
Anything that is beautiful
People want to break
And you are beautiful
I'm afraid
Anything that is beautiful
People want to break
And you are beautiful
I'm afraid
You said you're ashamed of your body
You'd rather die than show me
But I would love you in any
Form you take
You said that they say you're disgusting
That they told you you were fat and unworthy
Well my love I hope you trust me
When I say you have a perfect body
Anything that is beautiful
People want to break
And you are beautiful
I'm afraid
Anything that is beautiful
People want to break
And you are beautiful
I'm afraid
The lyrics to Nicole Dollanganger's song Ugly delve deep into the insecurities that stem from societal beauty standards. The song is essentially a message of love and support to someone who is struggling with body image issues. The opening lines, "You said they made fun of your body, Humiliation in your eyes when you told me," indicate that the person being addressed has been subjected to bullying and ridicule because of their appearance. The singer reassures them that they will stand up to the bullies and make sure they regret their hurtful behavior.
The chorus contains the central message of the song - that anything that is beautiful is susceptible to being destroyed or broken by those who are envious or cruel. The singer acknowledges their fear that the one they love may fall victim to this aggression, but simultaneously affirms that the person's beauty is not just subjective, but universally true. In the second verse, the singer explicitly confronts the person's self-loathing, insisting that they see something in them that they cannot see themselves. The line "You said you'd rather die than show me" is particularly poignant, emphasizing the depth of pain that these insecurities inflict.
Overall, the song is a moving portrayal of the ways in which societal beauty standards can cause people to see themselves as "ugly" or "undesirable," and the power that love and affirmation can have in helping people to overcome those feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
You said they made fun of your body
You told me that someone had ridiculed your physical appearance
Humiliation in your eyes when you told me
I could see the pain and shame in your eyes as you shared this with me
Well I'm gonna find them
I'm going to take action and confront those who hurt you
Don't you worry
You have nothing to fear because I'll take care of this
I'll make sure
I promise to ensure that they face the consequence of their actions
They're really fucking sorry
They will regret and apologize for what they did
You said you're embarrassed of your body
You feel self-conscious and uncomfortable about your physical appearance
You told me you think you're really ugly
You shared with me that you consider yourself unattractive
Well my love I know you don't see
I am aware that you don't perceive yourself in the same way that I do
What I see
I see you as beautiful, both inside and out
Anything that is beautiful
People tend to want to destroy what is aesthetically pleasing
People want to break
Individuals may feel compelled to tear down beauty due to their own insecurities
And you are beautiful
You possess a remarkable and attractive appearance
I'm afraid
I am apprehensive that others may try to harm or hurt you because of your beauty
You said you're ashamed of your body
You feel guilty or humiliated by the way you look
You'd rather die than show me
You would rather lose your life than reveal your physical appearance to me
But I would love you in any
Regardless of what you look like, I would still care for you deeply
Form you take
No matter what shape or size you are, my love for you would remain unchanging
You said that they say you're disgusting
You have been told or heard that others perceive you as repulsive
That they told you you were fat and unworthy
You were informed that you are overweight and undeserving of love or respect
Well my love I hope you trust me
I want you to believe that I am honest and sincere in my feelings for you
When I say you have a perfect body
I genuinely believe that you have an ideal and flawless physique
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.