Freaking Me Out

Last updated

"Freaking Me Out"
Ava Max - Freaking Me Out.png
Music video re-release artwork
Promotional single by Ava Max
ReleasedJuly 31, 2019 (2019-07-31)
Genre Pop
Length3:13
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Cirkut
Music video
"Freaking Me Out" on YouTube

"Freaking Me Out" is a song by American singer Ava Max, released as a promotional single through Atlantic Records on July 31, 2019, and charted on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 29. The song was written by Max, Jon Bellion, Jonathan Simpson, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Seth Reger, and the producer Cirkut. It is a pop song, with lyrics describing the feeling of losing senses during a new relationship. An accompanying music video was released on October 31, 2019, and directed by Edgar Daniel. It depicts Max trapped inside a mansion, which is filled with horror fiction objects and scenes.

Contents

Background and release

"Freaking Me Out" was released on July 31, 2019, which was accompanied by a lyric video. [1] Max additionally performed the song on Entertainment Weekly series "In the Basement" in August 2019. [2] The song was written by Max, Jon Bellion, Jonathan Simpson, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Seth Reger, and the producer Cirkut. [3] In a statement, Max described the lyrics as "realizing that you're in love with someone to a degree that feels almost beyond your control". [4] [5] "Freaking Me Out" charted on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 29. [6]

Composition

"Freaking Me Out" is described by Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone as an initial ballad tease with a guitar introduction, which escalates into a "midtempo pop song" during the chorus as Max sings the pop hook, "I'm falling for you / So much so / That it's freaking me out". [7] According to the song's sheet music that was published on Musicnotes.com, it is set in the time signature of 4
4
common time, with a tempo of 98 beats per minute, while composed in the key of E major. Max's voice on the track ranges from the low note of E3 to the high note of E5, while the song is constructed in verse–chorus form. [8] The song's lyrics utilize horror fiction tropes to represent the anxiety of falling, as Max sings the hook over a "vibrant" pop production. [9] She uses "growly vocals" as the lyrics describe the feeling of losing senses during a new relationship. [10]

Music video

A music video was released as a Halloween special on October 31, 2019. It was directed by Edgar Daniel, and is a literal retelling of the song's lyrics with gothic and glamorous visuals. [11] The video begins as Max observes the ocean waves. While inside a mansion, she is chained by a man within the basement, which serves as a metaphor to describe Max's unfamiliar and terrifying feelings in a relationship. [12] Madeline Roth of MTV News noted that while the music video contained scary scenes such as a dungeon, rocking chair, and a drummer boy, it also included several romantic moments which acknowledged that it is a love song. [11]

Track listings

Digital download – promotional single [13]
No.TitleLength
1."Freaking Me Out"3:13
Digital download – The Remixes [14]
No.TitleLength
1."Freaking Me Out" (Curt Reynolds Remix)3:00
2."Freaking Me Out" (Bingo Players Remix)2:45
3."Freaking Me Out" (Keanu Silva Remix)2:57
4."Freaking Me Out"3:13

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music metadata. [3]

Charts

Chart performance for "Freaking Me Out"
Chart (2019)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [6] 29

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References

  1. "Ava Max Drops 'Freaking Me Out' and 'Blood, Sweat & Tears'". Beyond the Stage Magazine. August 6, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  2. Huff, Lauren (August 9, 2019). "Ava Max performs 'Freaking Me Out' for EW's 'In the Basement' series". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Ava Max (July 31, 2019). Freaking Me Out (Apple Music). Atlantic Records.
  4. "Ava Max debuts two new songs: 'Freaking Me Out' and 'Blood, Sweat & Tears'". ABC News Radio. July 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  5. Aniftos, Rania (July 31, 2019). "Ava Max Drops New Tracks 'Freaking Me Out' & 'Blood, Sweat & Tears': Listen". Billboard . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 12, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  7. Spanos, Brittany (July 31, 2019). "Hear Ava Max's Two New Songs 'Freaking Me Out' and 'Blood, Sweat and Tears'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  8. "Freaking Me Out". Musicnotes.com. September 5, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  9. Nied, Mike (July 31, 2019). "Two Bops: Ava Max Drops 'Freaking Me Out' & 'Blood, Sweat & Tears'". Idolator . Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  10. Rothman, Madeline (July 31, 2019). "Ava Max Puts Her 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' Into Two New Songs". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Rothman, Madeline (October 31, 2019). "Ava Max's 'Freaking Me Out' Video Is A Spooky, Romantic Halloween Treat". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  12. Spanos, Brittany (October 31, 2019). "Ava Max Is Trapped in Haunted Mansion for 'Freaking Me Out' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  13. "Freaking Me Out - Single by Ava Max". Apple Music (US). Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  14. "Freaking Me Out (The Remixes)". Spotify . Retrieved October 7, 2020.