"Crying in the Club" is the debut solo single recorded by Cuban-born American singer

Camila Cabello Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in ...

, released on May 19, 2017. It was written by Cabello,

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also ...

and Happy Perez, with production handled by Blanco, Perez and

Cashmere Cat Magnus August Høiberg (born 29 November 1987), known professionally as Cashmere Cat, is a Norwegian DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for producing songs for artists including Kanye West, The Kid Laroi, Selena Gomez ...

. The song contains an interpolation of

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

's 1999 single "

Genie in a Bottle "Genie in a Bottle" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut studio album (1999). It was written by Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner and David Frank, and produced by Kipner and Frank. The song was released on May 11, 1 ...

". A mid-tempo

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

pop and

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

track, it was originally intended to be the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from Cabello's debut studio album, which was originally titled ''The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving.'' It was later removed from the track listing and featured on Side A of the

7-inch In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

eponymous extended play released on July 14, 2017. The song reached number three in Bulgaria, as well as the top forty in eleven additional countries. "Crying in the Club" is certified Platinum in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Italy. It is Cabello's first completely solo single since her departure from American girl group

Fifth Harmony Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, was an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and previously Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group signe ...

Background and release

Cabello previously collaborated with producers

and

on the latter's song "

Love Incredible "Love Incredible" is a song by Norwegian disc jockey and record producer Cashmere Cat, featuring Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello. It is Cabello's first solo single since leaving the American girl group Fifth Harmony. The electropop and R ...

", recorded in May 2016. Following Cabello's departure from the girl group

, and after years of writing in her downtime, she began writing songs in earnest for her debut. In November 2016, during a writing session with Blanco, singer-songwriter

conceived the concept for a

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

, and both composed the song. After Blanco offered her "Crying in the Club", Cabello rewrote the song's

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

and recorded the track. "It had a message about healing through the power of music," she said later, "That theme was a key part of what I wanted for my album." The song was released on May 19, 2017, to digital music stores and streaming services, following several music collaborations by Cabello, including " Bad Things" with

Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thomps ...

–which reached the top 10 on several ''Billboard'' charts. "Crying in the Club" was serviced to US

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

on May 23, 2017. It was later featured on the Side A of the

eponymous extended play released on July 14, 2017.

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Crying in the Club" is a mid-tempo pop and

track featuring a "subdued" minor-key dance groove and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

-inspired beat. Some critics described it as a

track. Lyrically, the song contains themes of the healing powers of music and dancing your heartbreak away. The song interpolates

's "

", written by David Frank,

Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an American-born Australian songwriter and record producer, with hits spanning a 40-year period, including chart-topping songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words", an ...

and Pamela Sheyne. The song is written in the key of F minor, with Cabello's vocals spanning from the low note of E₃ to the high belted note of F₅. Sia performed backing vocals for the song.

Critical reception

Writing for ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', Joe Lynch opined the song "demonstrates just enough vocal flair for the former Fifth Harmony star to escape the more generic tropes of top 40," while in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'', Ryan Reed noted Cabello "finds emotional redemption" in the song. Editors from ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' wrote "the song blends island flavors with intense pop sounds, making it a dance-ready soundtrack for optimism." Anna Gaca of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' described the song as a "dancehall-inspired beat that bears a passing resemblance to Sia's ' Cheap Thrills'." ''

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

'' writer Mike Wass called the song a "moody, mid-tempo bop", and opined, "the 20-year-old followed Sia's demo a little too closely. She's almost unrecognizable and that's worrying for something trying to establish their independence."

Year-end lists

Music video

Directed by

Emil Nava Emil William Capper Nava (born 29 March 1985) is a British music video director. After leaving school at 16, Emil started his career as a chef. He shot to fame after directing Jessie J's song " Do It Like A Dude". He has since directed over 1 ...

, the song's accompanying music video was released on May 19, 2017. The clip opens in

black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

with Cabello standing against a brick wall, dancing through the fog and soaking in a tub as she performs the song " I Have Questions", before transitioning into the song itself with the singer dancing in a crowded club. The video has received positive reviews. Writing for ''

'', Gil Kaufman related the concept to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In ''

'', Ryan Reed opined the video "mirrors the song's emotional journey. It opens with black-and-white shots of the singer crying and reclining in a bathtub before exploding with color in the nightclub." As of June 2021, the video has surpassed over 200 million views.

Live performances

Cabello performed the song live for the first time at the 2017 ''Billboard'' Music Awards on May 21. The singer started her performance by singing "I Have Questions" before transitioning into "Crying in the Club". Wearing sparkly gold attire, Cabello danced amid male backup dancers and drummers as fires burned behind them. The singer also performed the song on ''

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially ...

'' on May 31, and at the

2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards The 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards (or simply the iHeartRadio MMVAs) were held on June 18, 2017, outside 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada. It was hosted by Joe Jonas and Alessia Cara. Initial announcements were made on April 26 ...

on June 18. Cabello delivered a "stripped-back" acoustic rendition on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'' on June 22. ''Idolator'''s Mike Wass considered it "her best live performance yet." She also included the song as a part of her setlist as an opening act on

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...

24K Magic World Tour The 24K Magic World Tour was the fourth concert tour of American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars that was performed in support of his third studio album '' 24K Magic'' (2016) from March 2017 to December 2018. Anderson .Paak was the opening act f ...

Cover versions

Niall Horan performed the song as a

pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and ...

jam on guitar for his

Flicker World Tour The Flicker World Tour was the first concert tour by Irish singer Niall Horan, in support of his debut album '' Flicker'' (2017). The tour began on 10 March 2018 in Killarney, County Kerry. The tour then visited Oceania, Asia, Latin America, a ...

Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...

, Ireland. Cabello shared a fan-filmed video of his live cover on Twitter while expressing her appreciation. It was nominated by

iHeartRadio Music Awards The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platform. Founded by iHeartRadio in 2014, the eve ...

in 2019 for Best Cover Song. Accolade

Formats and track listings

''Crying in the Club'' (7-inch EP)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{authority control 2017 songs Camila Cabello songs Dancehall songs Songs written by Camila Cabello Songs written by Sia (musician) Songs written by Benny Blanco Songs written by Cashmere Cat Songs written by David Frank (musician) Songs written by Steve Kipner Songs written by Pam Sheyne Song recordings produced by Benny Blanco Song recordings produced by Cashmere Cat Epic Records singles Torch songs Tropical songs Songs about dancing Songs about nightclubs