| "Crystalised" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The xx | ||||
| from the album xx | ||||
| Released | 27 April 2009 | |||
| Genre | Pop [1] | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | Young Turks | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Jamie xx | |||
| The xx singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Crystalised" is the debut single by English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 27 April 2009 as the first single from their 2009 self-titled debut album. [2]
According to Robert Christgau, "Crystalised" uses a musical structure similar to "VCR", "hooky ostinato riff embellished with a few subtle effects, leading to a soft vocal. The exaggerated drawl of bassist Oliver Sim precedes the more human-scale croon of guitarist Romy Madley Croft." [3] Croft and Sim shared lead vocals, which Rachel Kowal from NPR said are "delivered in a sexy call and response fashion that is reminiscent of the duets" by Canadian indie pop band Stars on their 2004 album Set Yourself on Fire , "minus all the antagonism associated with ex-lovers." [4]
Like most of the other songs on xx, "Crystalised" was based on an imagined romantic scenario, developed from a verse Sim had written thinking about what a fling would be like: "I hadn't really had any relationships to be working off. But I had a huge interest in life, and looking at other people’s relationships around me." He wrote the first lines of the song, including "you applied the pressure / to keep me crystalised", and shared it through iChat with Croft, who responded with her verse, beginning with "I'll forgive and forget / Before I’m paralyzed." John Colapinto of The New Yorker critiqued that "the finished lyrics, some of their best, suggest a twisted love affair, but also hint at drugs and ecological disaster." [5]
"Crystalised" was first released in the UK on 27 April 2009 by Vinyl and on 25 November 2009 by Digital download and then again on 11 October 2010. It has been used in numerous advertisements and TV shows and has over 26 million hits on YouTube as of June 2011.[ citation needed ] It was sampled in the song "Less Than Zero" by K.Flay [6] and covered by Gorillaz whose version was included in the advertisement for Grey's Anatomy in late 2010. In 2013, it was covered and released as a single by Martina Topley-Bird, Mark Lanegan, and Warpaint. [7]
| Chart (2010-2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI) [10] | 95 |
| UK Indie (OCC) [11] | 14 |
| US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [12] | 37 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) [13] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI) [14] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [15] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 27 April 2009 | Vinyl |
| 25 November 2009 | Digital Download | |
| 11 October 2010 |
Martina Gillian Topley-Bird is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye (1995). She also worked with him on his subsequent albums, Nearly God and Pre-Millennium Tension. In 2003, Topley-Bird released her debut solo album, Quixotic, which was critically praised and earned her a Mercury Prize nomination.
Mark William Lanegan was an American singer, songwriter and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He released 12 solo studio albums as well as three collaboration albums with Isobel Campbell and two with Duke Garwood. He was known for his baritone voice, which was described as being "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather" and has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.
Vital Idol is a remix album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released in June 1985 by Chrysalis Records. It contains remixed songs from his first two albums and the Don't Stop EP. The album was reissued in the United States with one extra track in September 1987, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200. The US release was supported by a non-album live single version of "Mony Mony".
The discography of American musician Moby consists of twenty-one studio albums, one live album, eleven compilation albums, twelve remix albums, three video albums, four extended plays, eighty-nine singles, fourteen promotional singles, a hundred and forty-nine music videos, and forty-four remixes.
Warpaint is an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2004. The band consists of Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, and Stella Mozgawa (drums).
The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx, and formerly Baria Qureshi. They are known for their distinct and minimalist sound that blends indie rock, indie electronic, indie pop, dream pop and electro-rock and the dual vocalist setup of both Madley Croft and Sim. Their music employs soft, echoed guitar, prominent bass, light electronic beats and ambient soundscape backgrounds.
xx is the debut album by the English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 14 August 2009 by Young Turks, then an imprint label of XL Recordings, and recorded from December 2008 to February 2009 at the label's in-house studio in London. Producing the album, Jamie Smith of the xx created electronic beats for the songs on his laptop and mixed them in a detailed process with the audio engineer Rodaidh McDonald, who attempted to reproduce the intimate, unembellished quality of the band's original demos.
Kristine Meredith Flaherty, better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and rapper. She has released five studio albums: Life as a Dog (2014), Every Where Is Some Where (2017), Solutions (2019), Inside Voices / Outside Voices (2022), and Mono (2023).
"Islands" is a song recorded by English indie pop band the xx for their self-titled debut studio album. Written by band-members Jamie Smith, Oliver Sim, Romy Madley Croft and then-member Baria Qureshi, "Islands" is a dark and simple indie pop track. It also contains influences from house music and features instrumentation from guitars and synthesizers. Croft and Sim, who provided vocals in the track, sing about themes related to loyalty and love. "Islands" was released on 26 October 2009 as the third single from the album by Young Turks in 7-inch single and digital download formats. In March 2010, the song was re-released as a 12-inch single.
"VCR" is the fourth single by English indie rock band the xx from their self-titled debut album. The single was first released in the UK on 24 January 2010. The song was also featured on the episode "Black Friday" from the television series Lie to Me. Music critic Robert Christgau named it the tenth best single of the year.
James Thomas Smith, known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the English indie pop band the xx.
Young is a British independent record label that sits in the Beggars Group of labels launched by Caius Pawson in 2006. It has grown from an imprint of XL Recordings into a successful and influential label now partnered with XL and operates across a range of genres. The label's current roster includes The xx, FKA twigs, Sampha, Jamie xx, Koreless and Kamasi Washington.
The discography of Warpaint, an American indie rock band, consists of four studio albums, three EPs, eleven singles, and seven music videos.
Coexist is the second studio album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released 5 September 2012 by the Young Turks record label.
"Angels" is a song by English indie pop group The xx, released as a digital download on 17 July 2012 by Young Turks. It was the lead single for their 2012 album Coexist. The song was written by guitarist Romy Madley Croft, bassist Oliver Sim, and percussionist Jamie xx, who also produced it.
The xx, an English indie pop band, have released three studio albums, one remix album, five extended plays, 12 singles and 10 music videos.
"Intro" is the opening song of English indie pop group The xx's debut studio album, xx (2009). It was composed as an instrumental by the group and produced by one of its members, Jamie xx. The song has been positively received, as well as earning comparisons to the works of Casiokids and Interpol. It has been analysed by The Daily Telegraph to have been a "TV favourite", getting play in several television commercials, events, and shows. The track has reached number 129 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as charting in France, Spain and the United States.
In Colour is the debut studio album by English producer Jamie xx, released on 29 May 2015 by Young Turks. The album was composed during a five-year period while a member of the indie pop band the xx, starting with his production on xx in 2009. After starting his solo career with the remix album We're New Here (2011) and singles like "All Under One Roof Raving" (2014), he was intent on making the album something of a departure from his previous work and genre. The album features guest vocals from fellow the xx members Romy and Oliver Sim, as well as from Young Thug and Popcaan. The album produced five singles: "Girl" and "Sleep Sound" as a double-single on 5 May 2014, "Loud Places" on 27 March 2015, "Gosh" on 4 May, and "I Know There's Gonna Be " on 22 May.
I See You is the third studio album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 13 January 2017 by the Young Turks record label. It was the band's first album in more than four years, following 2012's Coexist.
"On Hold" is a song by English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 10 November 2016 as the lead single from their third studio album, I See You (2017). The song peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart, and became one of their highest-charting singles internationally.
| |
| Studio albums | |
| Singles |
|
| Other songs | |
| Tours | |
| Related | |
