"Looks and Money" is a song by the American pop rock band Self, released on November 28, 2011. Originally released independently, it was later distributed by El Camino Media. It was the first single released for the band's third extended play Super Fake Nice, a music video for "Looks and Money" featuring Mary Lynn Rajskub and Dave Foley was later released in 2015 on the American comedy website Funny or Die.

Background

In 2001, the American pop rock band Self announced that they had begun recording their fifth studio album, Ornament & Crime, slated for a summer release. Self had completed Ornament & Crime around 2004. However, before its release, their label, DreamWorks Records ceased operations and was absorbed into Universal Music Group. As a result of the restructuring, Self was dropped from the label, and the album remained unreleased for several years, this was followed by death of Self's bassist Mike Mahaffey in 2005, leading the band into an indefinite hiatus.

In early January 2007, frontman Matt Mahaffey revealed via Myspace that Self had begun recording new music, which would serve as the band’s next full-length studio album. In 2008, Mahaffey showcased two rough demos which were aired on the LGBTQ radio channel OutQ's Derek and Romaine show: "Orchid" and "Monogamy". Over the next several years, several more songs would be released online to tease the upcoming album.

Release

Self independently released "Looks and Money" on November 28, 2011, available on Amazon Music, and for purchase on iTunes, additionally being featured on the American actress Mary Lynn Rajskub's online comedy series. "Looks and Money" was later released on Self's third extended play Super Fake Nice on July 29, 2014. A music video directed by Dave Foley was released on March 5, 2015, it features Rajskub giving Foley's character a "private dance in his stuffed-animal-filled lair," and premiered on the American comedy website Funny or Die. Mahaffey does not make an appearance in the music video.

On September 17, 2014, Mahaffey performed "Looks and Money" live for Nashville Scene's "Live in the Morgue" with his daughter Ahna, the performance was later uploaded to the Nashville Scene's YouTube channel. Mahaffey additionally performed the song for Self's Daytrotter session on March 25, 2015.

Reception

Christopher Anthony of The Fire Note called "Looks and Money" a “sharp” and “stylistic” song, praising its laid back approach compared to the EP’s opener "Runaway". Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo News called the music video "nothing less than pure comedy gold," and commenting that Mahaffey had "outdone" himself since their previous music video. Patrick Rodgers of Nashville Scene highlighted the fact that despite Mahaffey not making an appearance in the music video, "it's just as well — the true star here is Rajskub's strangely lascivious dance moves," encouraging fans to rate the video positively on Funny or Die. "Looks and Money" was later ranked as one of Nashville Scene's top music videos of 2015.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the EP's liner notes.