Instead of a conventional pop album, she channeled that chaos into songwriting. She co-wrote the entire record with producer Salaam Remi and, crucially, Mark Ronson. Ronson, a New Yorker obsessed with vintage production techniques, became the architect of her pain. He pitched the idea of using a 1960s Motown and Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" aesthetic—but laced with modern hip-hop drums and lyrical profanity. One of the most brilliant aspects of Amy Winehouse Back to Black is the disconnect between the sound and the lyrics. The music is lush. You hear reverberant drums, staccato string sections, walking basslines, and the warm echo of classic girl groups like The Ronettes or The Shirelles. It sounds like a prom night in 1963.
This is the apology without the amendment. Over a sultry, hip-hop-influenced beat, Winehouse admits to infidelity. "I cheated myself / Like I knew I would." The song is a portrait of a serial self-saboteur. She knows she isn't good for anyone, yet she craves the comfort of a lover. It is brutally honest and uncomfortably sexy. Amy Winehouse Back To Black
Their relationship was a whirlwind of passion, codependence, violence, and drugs. When Fielder-Civil left her to return to an ex-girlfriend, Winehouse was decimated. She didn't just write sad songs; she descended into the darkest period of her young life. She moved into a dingy flat in Camden, drank heavily, and began taking massive amounts of drugs. Instead of a conventional pop album, she channeled