Gone

## **Gone**Single by Charli XCX

Nömak

Noonie Bao

Lotus IV

Christine and the Queens

A. G. Cook

## Music video

"**Gone"** is a song by Charli XCX featuring French singer Christine and the Queens from her album Charli. It is the second track on the album and was released as the third single.

## Background

Charli and Christine were talking about recording something together and get to know each other for a few years before the recording process of "Gone" begin. Charli recorded the song on early 2019 in Stockholm, after finishing the track she recorded ten unknown songs that she didn't end up liking, until they recorded Gone. Charli decided to send the song to Christine so she can do the chorus end her verse. Then she sent the song to Nömak and A.G. Cook so they can do production on it.

Christine helped Charli XCX out on this song when she was suffering from writer's block. The English singer-songwriter had sketched out "Gone," but just couldn't come up with a chorus. She sent the demo of what she'd come up with to Chris, and within a quarter of an hour, the French songstress had sent her back an idea for the hook. It was just what Charli had been looking for.

Charli premiered the song with Christine during her set at Primavera Sound on May 30th, 2019. Before performing it live for the first time, a picture of her setlist was posted showing "Gone". Fans initially believed it was the unreleased 2018 track "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (then known as "Better When You're Gone", however this was later disproven when Charli posted a snippet of her rehearsing Gone showing that the 2 are different songs.

On July 10th, 2019, Charli XCX revealed the track's release date through social media. Several days later, she stated that she had seen "the first edit" of the music video and called it "so good".

They performed the song again at Electric Picnic festival in September 2019, as well as its first televised performance on The Jonathan Ross Show to promote the release of Charli. The duo performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in September 2019 as well.

## Theme

Charli XCX said the song is about "feeling isolated and alone in crowded rooms", as well as anxiety and "learning how to be comfortable with who you truly are".

*“This song is about those situations where you are surrounded by loads of people but feel so isolated and alone. I feel like that a lot of the time in social situations. I never know what to do with myself, I feel so insecure and out of place and lost. I feel like a lot of people I know get those feelings. When it comes to me, I’ll either party through it and try to escape my feelings or I will totally cave in. The emotions that come alongside anxiety are so huge and crippling. This song is about breaking down but it’s also about breaking free. It feels like one big external scream.”* - Said Charli on her Instagram account.

## Leak History

* October 30th, 2021 - Demo leaks online in high quality.

## Critical Reception

The day of the song's release, Pitchfork named the song "Best New Track". Writing for the publication, Anna Gaca said: "The song bangs like it’s trying to get out of a big metal box, probably because that's how its creators are feeling: 'I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people/How they're making me feel lately,' sings Charli, with typical bluntness." She also notes that the track mixes the "bassy stutters and crackles of Charli’s post-PC Music projects with the kinetic, bilingual funk-pop of Christine and the Queens' 2018 album Chris." Julia Gray of Stereogum wrote that on "Gone", "Charli does what she does best, taking retro aesthetics — '80s drums, '90s synths — and blasting them into the future." She also considered the song "a step in the right direction" compared to previous singles "1999" and "Blame It on Your Love". The website then named "Gone" the best song of the week.

Speaking of the music video, Kirsten Spruch of Billboard said that it "emotes the intense feelings of empowerment, sensuality and hopelessness, all wrapped into an electrifying, four-minute long visual." She also felt that the video is "pretty much everything fans would want from the two artists".

Pitchfork listed the song at number 4 for the 100 best songs of 2019 and at number 145 for the 200 best songs of the 2010s. The track was also shortlisted for BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac’s Hottest Record of The Year, voted for by the public, and ended up scoring third place, falling behind fellow British artists AJ Tracey and Sam Fender.

## Music Video

The video was premiered the same day the song came out. It begins with shots of Charli and Chris struggling while tied to opposite sides of a white car atop a stage intercut with the two singing the track and dancing in a room with flashing colourful lights. At the beginning of the second verse, Chris manages to free herself before helping out Charli. As the second chorus starts, rain and smoke appear in the room as the two singers dance on the car's roof. With the beginning of the outro, the rain stops and a ring of fire emerges around the stage. The music video ends with Charli and Chris standing together with flames in front of them.

Charli said: *"Both this song and video are a huge release of energy for me. When I hear it and when I dance to it I feel truly euphoric and alive, like I'm pushing out all the bad feelings from my brain. It's like I'm channeling all my anger and frustration (and sometimes sadness) into dancing it all away."*

## Lyrics

[Verse 1: Charli XCX]

I have to go, I'm so sorry, but it feels so cold in here

I am just now realizing they don't care

I try real hard, but I'm caught up by my insecurities

Pour me one more, watch the ice melt in my fist

[Pre-Chorus: Charli XCX]

I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people

How they making me feel lately

They making me weird, baby, lately

I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people

How they making me loathe

They making me loathe, yeah

[Chorus: Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens]

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Why do we love if we're so mistaken?

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Don't search me in here, I'm already gone, baby

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Why do we love?

[Verse 2: Christine and the Queens]

I would lay down (Lay down)

But they staring, their eyes like two shining stones

I see myself (Myself), and I look scared and confused

Wait, did they just talk?

Why is it too loud? (Is it loud?)

Do they wish to run through me? (Me)

Am I a smoke? Am I the sun? And who decides? (Oh)

[Pre-Chorus: Christine and the Queens]

I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people

How they making me feel lately

They making me weird, baby, lately

I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people

How they making me loathe

They making me loathe, oh, mmm (Yeah)

[Chorus: Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens]

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Why do we love if we're so mistaken?

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Don't search me in here, I'm already gone, baby (Baby)

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Why do we love if we're so mistaken?

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Don't search me in here, I'm already gone, baby

[Bridge: Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens]

(Cruels endroits)

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Ne me cherche pas, je ne suis plus là, baby

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Ne me cherche pas, je ne suis plus là

[Outro: Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens & Both]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Why do we?

Keep, keep, k-keep the water running

Keep, k-keep, k-keep, k-keep the water run

Keep, k-keep, k-keep the

Keep, keep the, keep

Keep

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Keep, keep, keep

Why do we love if we're so mistaken?

Keep, keep, keep

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Keep

Why do we keep when the water runs?

Keep, keep, keep

Why do we love if we're so mistaken?

Keep, keep, keep

Why do we leave when the chase is done?

Don't search me in here, I'm already gone, baby

## Remixes

The song had one remix single and one EP of remixes, both released on September 12th, 2019.

1. "Gone" (Happy Nina Kraviz Mix) – 5:02
2. "Gone" (Devault Remix) – 5:02
3. "Gone" (Clarence Clarity Remix) – 3:50
4. "Gone" (The Wild Remix) – 3:13

## Live Performances

Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens - Gone Performance The Jonathan Ross ShowLive At the Jonathan Ross Show (Sep 14 2019)Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens - Gone in the Live LoungeCharli XCX ft. Christine and the Queens GoneLive at Jimmy Fallon (Sep 17 2019)
## Charts

 Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)
 Canadian Hot Digital Song Sales (*Billboard*)
 China Airplay/FL (*Billboard*)
 France Downloads (SNEP)
 Ireland (IRMA)
 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)
 Scotland (Official Charts Company)
 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)

## Trivia

* Charli stated that the original lyrics on the pre-chorus were supposed to be *"I've been so unstable, fucking hate my label"*.
* Charli calls this song A.G. Cook's best production.
* This is XCX's favorite track from the album *Charli*.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.songfacts.com/facts/charli-xcx/gone
2. ↑ https://www.idolator.com/7826762/charli-xcx-taps-christine-and-the-queens-for-new-song-gone?chrome=1
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/charli\_xcx/status/1151167479038795776
4. ↑ https://dbree.org/v/60f5e2
5. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/charli-xcx-christine-and-the-queens-gone/
6. ↑ https://www.stereogum.com/2051443/charli-xcx-gone-christine-and-the-queens-video/video/
7. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8520458/charli-xcx-christine-and-the-queens-gone-video-watch
8. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2019/
9. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-songs-of-the-2010s/
10. ↑ https://twitter.com/bbcr1/status/1207755856038780928
11. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/gone-remixes-single/1481238803
12. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/gone-happy-nina-kraviz-mix-single/1481232155
13. ↑ https://i-d.vice.com/en\_uk/article/gy477m/an-exclusive-look-behind-the-scenes-of-gone-with-charli-xcx-and-chris