"Apple" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. 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. It went viral on TikTok shortly afterwards, spawning a dance craze on the platform. The song was released to Italian radio through Warner Records on 2 August 2024 as the third single from the album. "Apple" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.[2]
A 15-second sample of "Apple" by Charli XCX, where the snippet of the chorus that is accompanied by the viral dance trend is heard, the song blends retro 80's electro, pop and synth-pop with pulsating beats.
"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.[3] 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.[4] The track addresses Charli's relationship with her parents and intergenerational trauma. "Apple" is used as a metaphor symbolizing both family connection and the nature of trauma.[3] The song utilizes retro1980selectro and synth-pop while keeping a prominent pop sound.[5][6]
Reception and cover versions
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"[8] and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times opined that the track paid tribute to "the sound of the 1980s".[4]
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.[9] By 28 June, Charli had filmed herself performing the dance alongside Troye Sivan, while similar videos had been filmed by various celebrities.[10] In addition, a version of the dance was produced by #AmishTikTok content creators, who substituted operating a horse and buggy for driving a car.[9] Charli later uploaded footage of her abortively trying to convince her fiancé George Daniel to perform the dance.[11]
In August 2024,[12]Griff performed a dream-pop version of the track for Like a Version, a series for Triple J.[13]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.[12]
^"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.
