| "Focus" / "No Angel" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Charli XCX | ||||
| Released | 29 June 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:28 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Charli XCX singles chronology | ||||
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"Focus" and "No Angel" are songs recorded by English singer Charli XCX. They were released as a double single on 28 June 2018 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK as the second installment from a series of monthly single releases. [1] Both of the songs were performed live prior to their release. [2]
"Focus" is a "synth-driven, half-rapped" [3] "hip hop" [4] track which features the singer giving a demand for attention. [5] Lake Schatz of Consequence of Sound compared the song to XCX's 2016 extended play Vroom Vroom. [6] "No Angel" is a bouncy synth-pop [7] [4] anthem. [3] It sees the singer admitting to having a wild side and wanting to prove herself worthy of love. [5]
Julia Gray of Stereogum named "Focus" a "synth-driven, half-rapped track" and named "No Angel" a "bouncy, shimmering anthem". [3] "No Angel" was named "Best New Track" by Pitchfork, describing the song as "effervescent 80s synth pop". [7] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called "Focus" an "unrepentant earworm, with that trademark XCX style of delivering an almost cruelly addictive, simple chorus." She wrote that "No Angel" "has the effortless cool that makes so many of her songs sound fresh and unmistakably her own." [8] Mike Nied of Idolator wrote that "it is easy to imagine 'Focus' filling dance floors across the globe with its irresistible production." Nied praised "No Angel" for moving "her pop aesthetic into a more experimental realm and features some of her most earnest lyrics to date." [5]
Credits adapted from Qobuz.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Focus" | 3:22 | ||
| 2. | "No Angel" |
|
| 3:06 |
| Total length: | 6:28 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Focus (Yaeji Remix)" |
|
| 3:17 |
| Total length: | 3:17 | |||
Notes
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [10] | 32 |
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.
"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 five studio albums, four mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack 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.
Sophie Xeon, known mononymously as Sophie, was a Scottish music producer, songwriter, and DJ. Sophie's work was known for its brash take on pop music and distinguished by experimental sound design, "sugary" synthesized textures, and incorporation of influences from underground dance styles. It would help pioneer the 2010s hyperpop microgenre.
Vroom Vroom is the second extended play by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 February 2016 by Vroom Vroom Recordings. It features production work from Scottish producer Sophie.
"After the Afterparty" is a single by British singer Charli XCX featuring American rapper Lil Yachty. It was released on 28 October 2016 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK intended as the lead single from XCX's scrapped third studio album, commonly referred to by fans as XCX World. However, the song became a stand-alone single when tracks from the project were leaked online and the album was ultimately cancelled.
Number 1 Angel is the third mixtape by British singer Charli XCX, released on 10 March 2017 by Asylum Records. The mixtape contains ten tracks and was created in Los Angeles as a collaboration with producer A. G. Cook, the founder of PC Music. Several other producers associated with the label also contributed to the mixtape, including Sophie who previously produced Charli XCX's extended play Vroom Vroom. Musically, it has been labeled as avant-pop and electropop.
"3AM (Pull Up)" is a song recorded by English singer Charli XCX, written for her mixtape Number 1 Angel (2017). The song features Danish singer and songwriter MØ. The song received positive reviews from critics, with some considering it a highlight of the mixtape.
"Boys" is a single by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 July 2017 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK. The song was originally intended to be the second single from her then-upcoming third studio album. However, the song became a stand-alone single when the projected third album was leaked on the internet and cancelled. The song makes use of a sample from the Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros.
Pop 2 is the fourth mixtape by British singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2017 by Asylum Records. Executive produced by A. G. Cook of PC Music, sessions for the mixtape began just several months before its release and featured a wide variety of guest contributions. The project received acclaim from music critics for its production and songwriting, and was backed by the single "Out of My Head" featuring Alma and Tove Lo.
"Party for One" is a song by Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released as the lead single from her fourth studio album Dedicated on November 1, 2018, through 604, School Boy and Interscope Records. The track was written by Jepsen, Tavish Crowe, Julia Karlsson, and Anton Rundberg, and produced by Hightower and Captain Cuts. "Party for One" was placed on Rolling Stone's list of 50 Best Songs of 2018.
"Like I Do" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her eighth studio album Liberation. American rapper GoldLink is featured on the song. The track was released as the third single on June 7, 2018. A lyric video for the song was later released on YouTube on June 21, 2018. The single received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2019.
Sanctuary is the second extended play (EP) by American pop music duo Aly & AJ. It was released on May 10, 2019, through the duo's independent label Aly & AJ Music LLC. The EP follows Aly & AJ's first EP, Ten Years (2017). A continuation of the 1980s-inspired sound found on Ten Years, Sanctuary is a synth-pop and electropop EP that discusses themes of love, mental health, and life. Sanctuary was positively received by music critics, who praised the EP's further exploration of 1980s synth-pop, while also praising the duo's musical growth.
"Blame It on Your Love" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring American singer and rapper Lizzo. It was released on 15 May 2019 as the second single from Charli XCX's third studio album, Charli, and soon after debuted on BBC Radio 1 as Annie Mac's "Hottest Record in the World". It is Charli XCX's first single since her 2018 collaboration with Troye Sivan, "1999". The single is a reworked version of "Track 10" the final track from Charli XCX's mixtape Pop 2 (2017). The music video was released on 13 June 2019.
"2099" is a song by British singer Charli XCX featuring Australian singer Troye Sivan. It was released on 10 September 2019 as the fourth and final promotional single from Charli XCX's third studio album Charli (2019). The song was produced by A. G. Cook and Ö.
"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.
"Cross You Out" is a song by British singer Charli XCX featuring American singer Sky Ferreira, released as the first promotional single from Charli XCX's third album Charli on 16 August 2019. It was produced by A. G. Cook and Lotus IV.
How I'm Feeling Now is the fourth studio album by British singer Charli XCX, released on 15 May 2020. Released eight months after her previous LP, Charli (2019), the album was conceived in the span of six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown in a "do it yourself" collaborative process with her fans. Charli XCX, A. G. Cook and BJ Burton served as the album's executive producers.
"I Finally Understand" is a song by British singer Charli XCX, released on 7 May 2020 as the third single from her fourth studio album, How I'm Feeling Now. As with all previous singles from the album, three official covers were released for the song. The song was first announced on Charli XCX's Twitter on 2 May 2020.
