Jump to content

Apple (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Apple"
Single by Charli XCX
from the album Brat
Released2 August 2024
Genre
Length2:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Charli XCX singles chronology
"Guess"
(2024)
"Apple"
(2024)
"Talk Talk"
(2024)
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).

Background and composition

[edit]

"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.[5][6] Meaghan Garvey, writing for Pitchfork, saw "the sweetness" of the French musician and DJ Breakbot as inspiration of the track.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9] 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."[10]

Critical reception

[edit]

"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".[7] Gio Santiago of Resident Advisor wrote that the track "would have no issues turning an empty dance floor into a sweaty sauna"[11] and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times opined that the track paid tribute to "the sound of the 1980s".[8] 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."[12] 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'."[13] Alexis Yi from The Tech commended its "light touch and comical lyrical stylings, like the way Charli pronounces 'airport' to sound like 'apple'."[14] 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."[15]

Commercial performance

[edit]

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.[16] 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.[16] "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).[16] In Ireland, "Apple" became the album's first top-ten single, reaching number 9 on the Irish Singles Chart.[17] 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.[18] It would debut alongside XCX and Billie Eilish's "Guess" (which reached the pole position) becoming the highest-peaking singles of the album.[18] On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at number 51,[19] 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.[20]

Recognition and cover versions

[edit]

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.[21] By 28 June, Charli had filmed herself performing the dance alongside Troye Sivan, while similar videos had been filmed by various celebrities.[22] In addition, a version of the dance was produced by #AmishTikTok content creators, who substituted operating a horse and buggy for driving a car.[21] Charli later uploaded footage of her abortively trying to convince her fiancé George Daniel to perform the dance.[23]

In August 2024,[24] Griff performed a dream-pop version of the track for Like a Version, a series for Triple J.[25] 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.[24] On August 12, 2024, UPSAHL performed an acoustic cover of "Apple" for Sirius XM Hits 1.[26]

The song entered both Exclaim! and NPR list of Best Songs of 2024,[27][28] 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."[27] 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.[29]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Exclaim! 20 Best Songs of 2024 16 [27]
NPR 124 Best Songs of 2024 [28]

Remix

[edit]
"Apple featuring the Japanese House"
Remix by Charli XCX featuring the Japanese House
from the album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat
Released11 October 2024 (2024-10-11)
Genre
Length2:37
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
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.[32][33] It was released on 11 October 2024 along with the remix album.[34]

Charts

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for "Apple"
Chart (2024–2025) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 18
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[35] 74
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[36] 37
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[37] 26
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[38] 85
Estonia Airplay (TopHit)[39] 129
Global 200 (Billboard)[40] 30
Greece International (IFPI)[41] 50
Iceland (Tónlistinn)[42] 37
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 9
Latvia Airplay (LaIPA)[43] 18
Lithuania (AGATA)[44] 47
Lithuania Airplay (TopHit)[45] 61
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] 90
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[47] 22
Philippines (Philippines Hot 100)[48] 86
Portugal (AFP)[49] 115
Singapore (RIAS)[50] 28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 75
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 93
UK Singles (OCC)[53] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 51
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[54] 38
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[55] 2
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[20] 12

Year-end charts

[edit]
2024 year-end chart performance for "Apple"
Chart (2024) Position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[56] 12

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Apple"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Gold 35,000
Canada (Music Canada)[58] Platinum 80,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[59] Gold 15,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Gold 400,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release history for "Apple"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Italy 2 August 2024 Radio airplay Warner [3]
United States 10 September 2024 Contemporary hit radio [4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Santiago, Gio (7 June 2024). "Charli XCX - BRAT · Album Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Harris, Alex (22 July 2024). "Decoding Charli XCX Apple Lyrics: A Deep Dive into BRATs Standout Track - Neon Music - Digital Music Discovery & Showcase Platform". Neon Music. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "CHARLI XCX-Apple Radio Date: 02/08/2024" (in Italian). 2 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Cantor, Brian (10 September 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter's 'Taste' Again Ranks As Pop Radio's Most Added Song". Headline Planet. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  5. ^ Santiago, Gio (7 June 2024). "Charli XCX - BRAT · Album Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  6. ^ Müller, Simon (8 August 2024). "'Apple' is Charli XCX's viral video about generational trauma". UMusic. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Garvey, Meaghan. "Charli XCX: BRAT". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Charli XCX: Brat album review — a pop star shows us what she's made of". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Charli xcx - Apple Lyrics". Genius. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  10. ^ Greer, Jackson. "BRAT - Plugged In Review". Plugged In. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  11. ^ Santiago, Gio (7 June 2024). "Charli XCX - BRAT · Album Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  12. ^ Rivers, Joe (25 June 2024). "Charli XCX: BRAT - Music Review - No Ripcord". No Ripcord. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  13. ^ Saalman, Austin (7 June 2024). "Charli XCX: Brat (Atlantic) - review". Under the Radar. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  14. ^ Yi, Alexis (13 June 2024). "Obsession, grief, and club bangers: 2024's brat is Charli XCX's best album to date". The Tech. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  15. ^ Ragusa, Paolo (5 June 2024). "Charli XCX's Brat is Abrasive, Absurd, and Irresistible: Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Charli XCX Songs and Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Charli XCX – Apple". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b "Charli XCX Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Charli XCX Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Demopoulos, Alaina (28 July 2024). "I invented the Apple dance! The woman behind Brat summer's viral choreography". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  22. ^ Schonfeld, Alexandra (31 July 2024). "Why Is Every Celeb Doing the 'Apple' Dance — and Why Can't We Stop Watching Them?". People. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Charli XCX tried to convince fiancé to do her viral 'Apple' dance. How it went". Today.com. 24 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Singh, Surej (30 August 2024). "Watch Griff's synthy cover of Charli XCX's 'Apple' for 'Like A Version'". NME. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  25. ^ Kreps, Daniel (30 August 2024). "See Griff Put a Dreamy Spin on Charli XCX's 'Apple'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  26. ^ "UPSAHL covering Charli XCX is SO brat 🍏". Facebook. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Exclaim!'s 20 Best Songs of 2024". Exclaim!. 28 November 2024. Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b "124 Best Songs of 2024". NPR. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyonce Leads With 11 Nods as Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX Are Among Top Nominees". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  30. ^ Bain, Katie (11 October 2024). "Charli XCX's 'Brat & It's Completely Different But Also Still Brat': All 16 Remixes Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  31. ^ Dazed (11 October 2024). "Ranking the Charli xcx Brat remixes". Dazed. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  32. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (7 October 2024). "Charli XCX gives 'Brat' remix album tracklist to fans and asks them to "put it online"". NME. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  33. ^ Hudson, Alex (7 October 2024). "Charli XCX Reveals 'BRAT' Remix Album Tracklist". Exclaim!. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  34. ^ Dazed (11 October 2024). "Ranking the Charli xcx Brat remixes". Dazed. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  35. ^ "Charli XCX – Apple" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Charli XCX Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Charli XCX Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  38. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 33. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  39. ^ "Charli XCX — Apple". TopHit. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  40. ^ "Charli XCX Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) (Week: 35(32-35)/2024)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  42. ^ "Streymi, spilun og sala viku 33" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  43. ^ "Latvijas spēlētāko dziesmu Radio Top 2024. gads – 40. nedēļa" [Latvia's most played songs Radio Top 2024 – Week 40] (in Latvian). LaIPA. 14 October 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  44. ^ "2024 32-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 9 August 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  45. ^ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Oct 24, 2024". TopHit. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Charli XCX – Apple" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  47. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  48. ^ "Philippines Hot 100 – Week of August 17, 2024". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  49. ^ "Charli XCX – Apple". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  50. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 32 (2 - 8 Aug 2024)". RIAS. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  51. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 33". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  52. ^ "Charli XCX – Apple". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  53. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  54. ^ "Charli XCX Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  55. ^ "Charli XCX Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  56. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  57. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  58. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Charli XCX – Apple". Music Canada. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  59. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Charli Xcx – Apple". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Charli Xcx – Apple". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 December 2024.