"Apple" | ||||
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Single by Charli XCX | ||||
from the album Brat | ||||
Released | 2 August 2024 | |||
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Length | 2:31 | |||
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Charli XCX singles chronology | ||||
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Lyric video | ||||
"Apple" on YouTube |
"Apple" is a song by English singer Charli XCX taken from her sixth studio album Brat . It was written by Charli XCX, George Daniel, Linus Wiklund and Noonie Bao, and produced by XCX, A. G. Cook, Daniel and Wiklund. The song was released to Italian radio through Warner Records on 2 August 2024 as the third single from the album and subsequently in the United States on 10 September 2024. The electro and synth-pop song touches upon themes of intergenerational trauma and XCX's connection with her family, featuring some idiomatic expressions with the fruit apple.
Critics commended the song for being an energetic and catchy song. Commercially, the song managed to peak inside the top-ten in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while also charting inside the top-twenty in Australia and top-forty in five other countries. In the United States, it peaked at number 51 and 12 on the Pop Airplay chart. It went viral on TikTok shortly afterwards, spawning a dance craze on the platform. "Apple" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. The song is also part of both Sweat and Brat Tour (2024).
"Apple" was teased on 8 September 2023 after Charli XCX uploaded a photo of her notebook, displaying the lyrics to a track called "The Apple". The track was again previewed on 2 April 2024 in a voice memo sent to her fans, which confirmed "Apple" to be part of her 2024 album Brat. [2] The song initially impacted Italian radio on 2 August 2024 as the album's third single and later it was serviced to U.S. radio on 10 September 2024. [3] [4] The song utilizes retro 1980s electro and synth-pop while keeping a prominent pop sound. [1] [5] Meaghan Garvey, writing for Pitchfork , saw "the sweetness" of the French musician and DJ Breakbot as inspiration of the track. [6]
Lyrically, in the song, Charli takes a bite from a metaphorical apple, determines it to be rotten, and has an overwhelming urge to flee the scene. [7] The track addresses Charli's relationship with her parents and intergenerational trauma, where "Apple" is used as a metaphor symbolizing both family connection and the nature of trauma. [2] In its lyrics, XCX also makes the usage of idiomatic expressions, such as the apple does not fall far from the tree and rotten to the core. [8] As noted by Jackson Greer from Plugged In, Charli returns to the topic of mental health by appropriating an apple core as a symbol of generational trauma passed down through her family. She sings, "I think the apple’s rotten right to the core/From all the things passed down/From all the apples coming before." [9]
"Apple" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Meaghan Garvey of Pitchfork found the track's fruit allegory "curious", but wrote that she had never had a Charli lyric "bounce around" her head in "the way that lines from 'Apple' have". [6] Gio Santiago of Resident Advisor wrote that the track "would have no issues turning an empty dance floor into a sweaty sauna" [1] and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times opined that the track paid tribute to "the sound of the 1980s". [7] Writing for No Ripcord, Joe Rivers wrote that it "might seem jaunty and almost throwaway at first, but its lyrics about her relationship with her parents and how she sometimes wants to run away while also recognising their shared traits are truly universal." [10] Austin Saalman of Under the Radar praised it for being "infectious" and for "serv[ing] as somewhat more accessible entries, with Charli once again exploring the same shock of inspiration that surely gave way to 2014’s immortal 'Boom Clap'." [11] Alexis Yi from The Tech commended its "light touch and comical lyrical stylings, like the way Charli pronounces 'airport' to sound like 'apple'." [12] For Paolo Ragusa of Consequence of Sound noted that the song "evokes a bubblegum flair, but almost surprisingly, this conventional sound feels out of place compared to the more haywire, unpredictable tracks." [13]
In the United Kingdom, "Apple" would debut at number sixty-four on the UK Singles Chart following its virality on TikTok on the issue of 12 July 2024. [14] In its fourth week, the song jumped to number 14, until it peaked at number 8 the following week; it would remain at its peak position for another week, inside the top-ten for three weeks and inside the top-twenty for ten weeks in total. [14] "Apple" would become the album's highest-charting single at the time it peaked - it would be surpass later by "Sympathy is a Knife" (which peaked at number seven). [14] In Ireland, "Apple" became the album's first top-ten single, reaching number 9 on the Irish Singles Chart. [15] In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 18 on the ARIA Singles Chart, where it remained in its peak position for three weeks. [16] It would debut alongside XCX and Billie Eilish's "Guess" (which reached the pole position) becoming the highest-peaking singles of the album. [16] On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at number 51, [17] whilst on the Pop Airplay chart it would peak at number 12, becoming XCX's second song from Brat to peak inside the top-twenty. [18]
The song went viral on TikTok shortly after release after New York-based actor and content creator Kelley Heyer uploaded a dance to the platform. Performing the dance involves body rolls, placing hands on hips, holding an imaginary apple above the performer's head, and pretending to drive a car. [19] By 28 June, Charli had filmed herself performing the dance alongside Troye Sivan, while similar videos had been filmed by various celebrities. [20] In addition, a version of the dance was produced by #AmishTikTok content creators, who substituted operating a horse and buggy for driving a car. [19] Charli later uploaded footage of her abortively trying to convince her fiancé George Daniel to perform the dance. [21]
In August 2024, [22] Griff performed a dream-pop version of the track for Like a Version , a series for Triple J. [23] NME described her take as "sparkly and glittery" and wrote that the track had "a heavy emphasis on dreamy synths and wavy cymbals". In an interview for Triple J, Griff stated that she had been moved to cover the track as she had found the album inspirational. [22] On August 12, 2024, UPSAHL performed an acoustic cover of "Apple" for Sirius XM Hits 1. [24]
The song entered both Exclaim! and NPR list of Best Songs of 2024, [25] [26] with the former claiming that: "This song about inherent vice (parents just don't understand) is the jagged, melodic piece of candy at the bottom of BRAT's handbag. The appeal of "Apple" is elementary, bounding with full sound and Charli XCX's most in-ha-mood cadence. An accessible anomaly on the record, it was the natural choice to soundtrack both Charli's siege of the mainstream and a peyote-button-cute dance trend even your dad can do. Plus, her obligatory automotive dream." [25] The song also earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming her first on that category. [27]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Exclaim! | 20 Best Songs of 2024 | 16 | [25] |
NPR | 124 Best Songs of 2024 | — | [26] |
"Apple featuring the Japanese House" | |
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Remix by Charli XCX featuring the Japanese House | |
from the album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat | |
Released | 11 October 2024 |
Genre | |
Length | 2:37 |
Label | Atlantic |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Audio video | |
"Apple featuring the Japanese House" on YouTube |
In October 2024, at Charli XCX's instruction, fans of XCX announced that the Japanese House would feature on a remix of the song for Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat . [30] [31] It was released on 11 October 2024 along with the remix album. [32]
Chart (2024–2025) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [16] | 18 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [33] | 74 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [34] | 37 |
Canada CHR/Top 40 ( Billboard ) [35] | 26 |
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [36] | 85 |
Estonia Airplay (TopHit) [37] | 129 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [38] | 30 |
Greece International (IFPI) [39] | 50 |
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [40] | 37 |
Ireland (IRMA) [15] | 9 |
Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) [41] | 18 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [42] | 47 |
Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) [43] | 61 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [44] | 90 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [45] | 22 |
Philippines (Philippines Hot 100) [46] | 86 |
Portugal (AFP) [47] | 115 |
Singapore (RIAS) [48] | 28 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [49] | 75 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [50] | 93 |
UK Singles (OCC) [51] | 8 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [17] | 51 |
US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [52] | 31 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [53] | 2 |
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [18] | 12 |
Chart (2024) | Position |
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US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) [54] | 12 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [55] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [56] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [57] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [58] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [59] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Italy | 2 August 2024 | Radio airplay | Warner | [3] |
United States | 10 September 2024 | Contemporary hit radio | [4] |
Top Dance Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted on the issue dated June 30, 2001 under the title Top Electronic Albums, with the first number-one title being the original soundtrack to the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. It originally began as a fifteen-position chart and has since expanded to twenty-five positions.
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, Charli XCX began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. She signed a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012. She later featured on "I Love It" with Swedish duo Icona Pop, with the song becoming her first number-one in the UK and receiving global success. Her debut studio album, True Romance (2013), was released to positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.
"I Love It" is a song by Swedish synth-pop duo Icona Pop featuring vocals from British singer Charli XCX. It was released as a single in May 2012 as a digital download in Sweden, where it peaked at number two on the singles chart. The song was added to their debut studio album, Icona Pop, as well as their EP Iconic and their debut international album, This Is... Icona Pop. "I Love It" was written by Charli XCX, Patrik Berger, and Style of Eye, with production handled by the latter two.
English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, five mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, one remix album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.
"Fancy" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Charli XCX, taken from the former's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released on 17 February 2014 by Def Jam Recordings as the fourth single from the album. "Fancy" was described as an electro-hop, electropop, and pop rap song. It was written by Azalea and XCX, composed and produced by production team the Invisible Men, alongside additional producers the Arcade. It was leaked under the title "Leave It" in December 2013.
"Boom Clap" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, released as the first single from the soundtrack album of The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and is also featured on her second studio album, Sucker. There are two existing mixes of this song: the first and original one is heard in the film, the film's soundtrack, and the music video shot in Amsterdam; the second mix is heard on the music video shot in Japan and in Sucker.
"1999" is a song by English singer Charli XCX and Australian singer Troye Sivan, released as the lead single from the former's third studio album Charli on 5 October 2018. The single cover was inspired by the 1999 film The Matrix. It follows several singles released earlier in 2018 by Charli XCX and Sivan's 2018 album Bloom. The track reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart dated 22 November 2018, becoming Charli XCX's tenth top 40 single and first top 15 single since 2015, as well as Sivan's fourth top 40 single and his first top 20 single.
"Gone" is a song by British singer Charli XCX and French singer Christine and the Queens. It was released on 17 July 2019 as the third single from Charli XCX's third studio album Charli. The music video was released alongside the track.
Addison Rae Easterling is an American social media personality, singer, and actress. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform. She later transitioned into different ventures like music and acting by starring in major film studio productions, collaborating with significant music producers, and having her own makeup brand.
"Good Ones" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, released as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song was released on 2 September 2021. It is a synthwave, electropop, dance, and synth-pop song that discusses the singer's incapacity to maintain healthy relationships, instead being drawn inexorably back to the dysfunctional and destructive. It received critical acclaim from critics who praised its production and Charli's vocal performance, while also lamenting its short run-time.
Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby", "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me".
"Hot in It" is a song by Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto and English singer Charli XCX, released on 30 June 2022 through Musical Freedom and Atlantic Records as the fourth single from Tiësto's seventh studio album Drive. It marks the pair's first direct collaboration, with Tiësto having previously remixed Charli's 2012 collaboration with Icona Pop, "I Love It", and her 2014 single "Break the Rules".
"Von Dutch" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 29 February 2024 through Atlantic Records. Written by Charli alongside its producer Finn Keane, the track serves as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Brat. The song and its remix version received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Remixed Recording, respectively. "Von Dutch" was also used as the official theme song for WWE's 2025 Royal Rumble wrestling event.
Brat is the sixth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released through Atlantic Records on 7 June 2024. It features production by Charli XCX, her longtime executive producer A. G. Cook, Finn Keane, Cirkut, her partner George Daniel, and others. The album draws influence from the 2000s English rave music scene, with a more aggressive club sound than her previous album, Crash (2022).
"Talk Talk" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It was first released on 7 June 2024 as the fifth track on her sixth studio album Brat and was written about her fiancé George Daniel. A revamped Balearic house inspired remix of the Eurodance song featuring Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan and uncredited spoken word from Dua Lipa was released on 12 September 2024 as a single from Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat and the third collaboration between Charli XCX and Sivan.
"Girl, So Confusing" is a song by the English singer Charli XCX from her sixth studio album Brat (2024). She wrote the song with the English producer A. G. Cook, who also assisted in its production, and released it through Atlantic Records. A glitch-influenced indie dance song, "Girl, So Confusing" is built on talk-sing Auto-Tune vocals and a throbbing bassline. It deals with Charli XCX's strained relationship with another female musician.
"360" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 10 May 2024 through Atlantic Records as the second single from her sixth studio album, Brat, wherein it was included as the opening track. Featuring minimalistic electropop and hyperpop production by A. G. Cook and Cirkut and deadpan singing by Charli XCX, its boastful, tongue-in-cheek lyrics make references to her musical career, her reverence in the music industry, and her friends Julia Fox and Gabbriette. Its Aidan Zamiri-directed music video stars an ensemble cast of online "it girl" influencers, models, and actresses, including Fox, Gabbriette, Rachel Sennott, and Chloë Sevigny, and begins with a skit in which they meet at dinner to find a "new hot Internet girl".
"Guess" is a song by British singer Charli XCX taken from Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not, the deluxe edition of her sixth studio album, Brat (2024). A remix version featuring American singer Billie Eilish was released on 1 August 2024 as a single from Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat, the remix album of Brat. The song interpolates the Daft Punk song "Technologic". Released alongside a music video from which 10,000 pairs of underwear were donated to I Support the Girls, the remix marked the first studio collaboration by Eilish in several years and was the fourth remix from Brat.
"Sympathy Is a Knife" is a song by the English singer Charli XCX from her sixth studio album, Brat, released through Atlantic Records. She wrote and produced it with Finn Keane, while Jon Shave provided additional songwriting. A synth-pop track driven by synthesizers and vocoded vocals, it was written about self-comparison, paranoia, insecurities, and suicidal ideation.
The Brat Tour is the fourth solo concert tour by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX, in support of her sixth studio album Brat (2024). Her first solo tour since Crash: The Live Tour (2022–2023), it began on 27 November 2024, in Manchester, England, and is scheduled to conclude on 10 August 2025, in Helsinki, Finland. English singer and DJ Shygirl serves as the opening act for the UK leg.