White Mercedes Explained

White Mercedes
Type:single
Artist:Charli XCX
Album:Charli
Recorded:January 2018
Studio:Andrew Watt's house
Genre:Pop
Length:3:23
Producer:
Prev Title:Click (No Boys Remix)
Prev Year:2019
Next Title:Bricks
Next Year:2019

"White Mercedes" is a song by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX. It was released on 23 October 2019 by Asylum and Atlantic UK as the fourth and final single from her third studio album Charli (2019). It was written by Charli XCX and produced by A.G. Cook, Andrew Watt and Happy Perez. The song is an emotional pop ballad about burning through a relationship with her boyfriend and throwing it away. An accompanying music video for the single, directed by Colin Solal Cardo, features Charli interacting with a sports car, a horse and a monster truck, all colored in white.

Background and composition

Lyrically, in Paper Magazine, Charli XCX explained that every time she comes back to her relationship, she becomes "this annoying, hectic person" and her boyfriend, Huck Kwong, ends up getting hurt. Charli acknowledges she is undeserving of his love.[1] "White Mercedes" is described as an emotional ballad song.[2] The song is composed in time and the key of D major, with a tempo of 130 beats per minute.[3]

Music video

Synopsis

The video starts with Charli performing inside a white sports car that's upside down, which later bursts into flames. She then interacts with a white horse and rides in the backseat of a white monster truck that crushes other cars. In the video, Charli is seen wearing a pink fluffy gown with multi-colored chains, leather knee-high boots and a slicked-back ponytail. The video was set in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine.[4]

Release

The song's music video was directed by Colin Solal Cardo and premiered on 10 October 2019 at Charli XCX's YouTube account.[5]

Live performances

On 26 September 2019, Charli XCX performed "White Mercedes" in the Artists Den concert at Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City[6] [7] and she also performed it during the Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris on 1 November 2019.[8] The singer performed the song throughout her Charli Live Tour in 2019 and 2020.[9]

Formats and track listings

Digital download – Remixes EP[10] [11]
  1. "White Mercedes" [EDX's Miami Sunset Remix] – 3:20
  2. "White Mercedes" [PBH & Jack Remix] – 3:10[12]
  3. "White Mercedes" [Martin Vogel Remix] – 2:53

Credits and personnel

Location

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[14]

Release history

RegionDateFormatVersionLabel
Italy23 October 2019Contemporary hit radioOriginalAsylum/Atlantic UK[15]
Various25 October 2019 EDX's Miami Sunset Remix[16]
1 November 2019 Marvin Vogel Remix

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2019-10-13. Watch Charli XCX's explosive video for "White Mercedes". 2020-06-13. lab.fm. en-US.
  2. Web site: White Mercedes by Charli XCX - Songfacts. 2020-06-12. Songfacts. en.
  3. Web site: Key & BPM for White Mercedes by Charli XCX. tunebat.com.
  4. Web site: What Working On A Music Video With Charli XCX Is Actually Like. Briones. Isis. Forbes. 27 November 2019. 22 May 2020.
  5. Charli XCX Pulls Out All the Stunts in Her 'White Mercedes' Video. Shaffer. Claire. Rolling Stone. 10 October 2019. 18 May 2020.
  6. Web site: Mahjouri. Shakiel. Charli XCX Performs 'White Mercedes' 'Live From The Artists Den'. https://web.archive.org/web/20190927013619/https://etcanada.com/news/513600/charli-xcx-performs-white-mercedes-live-from-the-artists-den/. dead. 27 September 2019. Entertainment Tonight Canada. 14 May 2020. 26 September 2019.
  7. Web site: Charli XCX. Artists Den. 23 April 2020. 9 September 2019.
  8. Web site: Bloom. Madison. Charli XCX Shares New Video for "White Mercedes": Watch. Pitchfork. 10 October 2019 . 14 May 2020.
  9. Charli XCX Announces Third Album 'Charli' Featuring Haim, Lizzo, Troye Sivan and More. Stephen. Daw. Billboard. 13 June 2019. 14 May 2020.
  10. Web site: White Mercedes (Marvin Vogel Remix). Spotify. 14 May 2020.
  11. Web site: White Mercedes (EDX's Miami Sunset Remix). Spotify. 14 May 2020.
  12. Web site: White Mercedes (PBH & Jack Remix) - Single by Charli XCX. Itunes (GB). 14 May 2020.
  13. Maicki. Salvatore. Charli XCX is making space for the pop music we deserve. The Fader. 19 September 2019. 14 May 2020.
  14. Web site: Charli / Charli XCX. Tidal. 14 May 2020.
  15. Web site: Charli XCX - White Mercedes. Gianluigi De Rosa. 3 November 2019. it.
  16. Web site: White Mercedes (EDX's Miami Sunset Remix). Amazon.com. 14 May 2020.