Sympathy Is a Knife

Last updated

"Sympathy Is a Knife"
Song by Charli XCX
from the album Brat
Released7 June 2024 (2024-06-07)
Length2:31
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Sympathy Is a Knife" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 7 June 2024 through Atlantic Records as the third track from her sixth studio album, Brat . Written and produced by Charli XCX herself and long-time collaborator Finn Keane, better known as Easyfun, the former bares her thoughts on a woman that evokes feelings "doubt and insecurity" in herself on the song. It was seen as a representation of one of the central themes of its parent album, as it deals with the singer's "complicated emotions about other women". [1]

Contents

Upon release, the song peaked at 56 on the UK Singles Charts, as well as the top 10 of the New Zealand Hot Singles and the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs of Billboard .

Ariana Grande remix

"Sympathy Is a Knife featuring Ariana Grande"
Remix by Charli XCX featuring Ariana Grande
from the album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat
Released11 October 2024 (2024-10-11)
Length2:34
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
  • Charlotte Aitchison
  • Finn Keane
  • Jonathan Christopher Shave
  • Ariana Grande
Producer(s)
  • Charli XCX
  • Easyfun

Charli XCX announced the remix album of Brat, titled Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat , on 12 September 2024. [2] On 6 October, XCX revealed lyrics of the "Sympathy Is a Knife" remix on her social media, both of which features links to pre-order the album. Grande shared the lyrics via her Instagram story, hinting at a collaboration. [3] In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, XCX opened up about her relationship with Grande and how the rollout of Brat changed her as a person. The remix with Grande in particular made her realise that one is "only really knowledgeable about [your] own position", a feeling she thought was moreso known by Grande than herself. [4]

As opposed to the original version, the remix with Grande deals with a certain part of being in the spotlight and especially takes in the themes of public perception and scrutiny. [5] Carson Mlnarik of Nylon described the remix as "more confident, albeit exasperated, perspective" than the original. Over a "synth-y, glitchier, and handclap-driven" instrumental, the artists exchange verses about rumours and how they refuse to address them, a stance that was compared to Grande's "Yes, And?", released earlier in 2024. [6]

Charts

Chart performance for "Sympathy Is a Knife"
Chart (2024)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [7] 10
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 56
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [9] 10

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariana Grande</span> American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1993)

Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range and her signature use of the whistle register.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1992)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX discography</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fancy (Iggy Azalea song)</span> 2014 single by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boom Clap</span> 2014 single by Charli XCX

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break the Rules (Charli XCX song)</span> 2014 single by Charli XCX

"Break the Rules" is a song by English singer Charli XCX from her second studio album, Sucker (2014). It was released on 19 August 2014 as the album's second single. In a 2020 interview with Red Bull, XCX stated that she regrets recording the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boys (Charli XCX song)</span> 2017 single by Charli XCX

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song)</span> 2018 single by Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">34+35</span> 2020 single by Ariana Grande

"34+35" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, released on November 3, 2020, by Republic Records as the second official single from her sixth studio album Positions (2020). Written by Grande, Albert Stanaj, Courageous Xavier Herrera, Scott Nicholson, Steven Franks, Tayla Parx, Victoria Monét, and its producers Peter Lee Johnson and Tommy Brown, the song has a title and chorus that both reference the 69 sex position, while the rest of its lyrics feature several sexual puns, double entendres, and sex jokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Ones</span> 2021 single by Charli XCX

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beg for You</span> 2022 single by Charli XCX featuring Rina Sawayama

"Beg for You" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring Japanese-British singer Rina Sawayama. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the third single from XCX's fifth studio album, Crash (2022). The song interpolates Swedish singer September's 2006 single "Cry for You". The song received widepsread acclaim from music critics. It peaked at number 3 in Malta and number 24 in the UK.

"Apple" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It quickly became a standout from the Brat album and went viral on TikTok shortly afterwards, spawning a dance craze on the platform. It was produced by A. G. Cook and written by Charli XCX and released on 7 June 2024 from her sixth studio album Brat through Atlantic Records. The song was released to Italian radio through Warner Records on 2 August 2024 as the third single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Von Dutch (song)</span> 2024 single by Charli XCX

"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.

<i>Brat</i> (album) 2024 studio album by Charli XCX

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). A deluxe edition, Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not, with three additional tracks was released on 10 June 2024. A remix album, titled Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat, featuring 20 guest artists, was released on 11 October 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talk Talk (Charli XCX song)</span> 2024 song by Charli XCX

"Talk Talk" is a song by British singer Charli XCX. It was first released on 7 June 2024 as the fifth track on her sixth studio album Brat. The song was written about her fiancé George Daniel. A remix of the 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 English singer Charli XCX from her sixth studio album Brat (2024). It was released on 7 June 2024 as the tenth track of the album through Atlantic Records. The song was written by Charli XCX and its producer A. G. Cook, and it deals with Charli XCX's strained relationship with another female musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweat (concert tour)</span> 2024 concert tour by Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

Sweat is a co-headlining concert tour by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX and Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, in support of their albums Brat (2024) and Something to Give Each Other (2023), respectively. The tour began on September 14, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan, and is currently set to conclude on October 23, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. English singer and DJ Shygirl will serve as the opening act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">360 (song)</span> 2024 single by Charli XCX

"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. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart, number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 35 on the Billboard Global 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guess (song)</span> 2024 song by Charli XCX

"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.

<i>Brat and Its Completely Different but Also Still Brat</i> 2024 remix album by Charli XCX

Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat is the first remix album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 11 October 2024 by Atlantic Records. The album contains remixes of sixteen tracks from the deluxe version of her sixth studio album, Brat and It's the Same But There's Three More Songs So It's Not (2024), but also features the original tracks, thereby serving as a double album.

References

  1. ↑ Viswanath, Jake (18 June 2024). "Fans Think Charli xcx's "Sympathy Is A Knife" Is About Taylor Swift". Bustle . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (12 September 2024). "Charli XCX Announces Full Brat Remix Album, Enlists Troye Sivan for New "Talk Talk": Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  3. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (6 October 2024). "Ariana Grande, Charli XCX Tease "Sympathy Is a Knife" Remix With New Lyrics". Billboard . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  4. ↑ Avila, Daniela (7 October 2024). "Charli xcx on the New Meaning Behind the "Sympathy Is a Knife" Remix — and How Ariana Grande Embodies It (Exclusive)". People . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  5. ↑ Gonzales, Erica (11 October 2024). "Ariana Grande and Charli XCX's "Sympathy Is a Knife" Remix Is a Response to Public Scrutiny". Elle . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  6. ↑ Mlnarik, Carson (11 October 2024). "Unpacking Charli XCX & Ariana Grande's "Sympathy Is a Knife" remix". Nylon . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  8. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  9. ↑ "Charli XCX Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.