Every Rule

**"Every Rule"** is a song by Charli XCX, produced by A. G. Cook and Oneohtrix Point Never. It was released as the first and final promotional single from her fifth studio album, *Crash*, on March 14, 2022.

## Background

The collaboration was first teased on November 25th, 2020, when Charli said for an interview: *“I really like the new Oneohtrix Point Never album”.*

On November 4th, 2021, Charli shared snippets of songs from her album Crash, including the track Baby, her collaboration with Rina Sawayama, and three other songs with an unknown title, one of them being this one. Only a small intro of the song was shared.

According to Charli, the song is one of the first songs she wrote for *Crash*, before the pandemic and the recording of the fourth album *How I'm Feeling Now*.

Oт March 11, 2022, the full song was leaked online along with the entire album.

## Writing and inspiration

In an interview with *Rolling Stones*, the singer spoke about the track:

> "It’s funny when you talk about explosions, this really genuine and beautiful love story on this album is also quite traumatic to listen back to, because this is a relationship from my past that no longer exists. Even the story within how we met is quite explosive, I suppose. I really love this song because I’m just saying exactly what happened and it feels very truthful."
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In an interview with Apple Music, Charli spoke in more detail about the inspiration for writing the track and the history of its creation:

> "It’s the true story of me meeting my previous partner, and both of us being in relationships but knowing that we were meant to be together. I think that that’s a story that a lot of my friends have also experienced—and obviously there’s a lot of controversy that comes with that circumstance. People are afraid to talk about it. People feel shame. But it’s also, it’s really real. I think you have to be really brave to admit to yourself that you’re not in love with maybe the person that you’re with, and that you are in love with someone else. It’s cruel on both sides, and I think you can really hear that. It was a song that I really only felt comfortable enough to make with A. G. He would never judge me for saying these things. It’s another pre-pandemic song, and A. G. was living in a place with a studio in his garage. There was a tree outside that was always covered in crickets. You can hear the crickets in the recording, which I think is really sweet and charming. Once we’d lived with the song for about a year, A. G. had the idea of asking Oneohtrix Point Never to add some things to the song, which I loved."
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## Music video

On March 14, XCX unexpectedly released the song with a poster limited to 500 copies, at the same time teasing music video.

## Lyrics

When I met you it was tragic

Chemistry something like magic

You were somebody else in turn

And I was with somebody else as well

Met up late night by the Bowery

And in the morning we got coffee

Acting like strangers and told no friends

It wasn't easy to pretend

And we know that it's wrong, but it feels real fun

Sneaking around, falling deep in love

But sometimes I get scared

'Cause I know it's unfair

I'm hurting someone else instead

I'm breaking every rule for you

You're breaking every rule for me

I'm breaking every rule for you

But I've got to say

I want it this way

These moments really set me free

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah

Straight away we started falling

Conversation never boring

When your lips brushed up against my skin

All I wanted was to let you in

I wonder if people would notice

Said you find it so hard to focus

Cigarettes up on the balcony

Wrapped up in nothing but sheets

And we know that it's wrong

But it feels real fun

Sneaking around, falling deep in love

But sometimes I get scared

'Cause I know it's not fair

I'm hurting someone else instead

I'm breaking every rule for you

You're breaking every rule for me

I'm breaking every rule for you

But I've got to say

I want it this way

These moments really set me free

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah

## References

1. ↑ https://t.co/QccZDbEp3L?amp=1
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/fckyeahcharliHD/status/1456372584543662088
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/charli-xcx-its-complicated-crash-interview-rolling-stone-cover-12162/
4. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/crash/1592545087