"Freaking Me Out" is a song by American singer

Ava Max Amanda Ava Koci (born Amanda Koçi; February 16, 1994), known professionally as Ava Max, is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, through which she released her breakthrough single " Sweet but Psycho" in ...

, released as a

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

through Atlantic Records on July 31, 2019, and charted on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 29. The song was written by Max,

Jon Bellion Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his song "All Time Low," along with his writing and producing cred ...

, Jonathan Simpson, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Seth Reger, and the producer

Cirkut Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, C ...

. It is a pop song, with lyrics describing the feeling of losing senses during a new relationship. An accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was released on October 31, 2019, and directed by Edgar Daniel. It depicts Max trapped inside a mansion, which is filled with

horror fiction Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian ...

objects and scenes.

Background and release

"Freaking Me Out" was released on July 31, 2019, which was accompanied by a

lyric video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

. Max additionally performed the song on ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' series "In the Basement" in August 2019. The song was written by Max,

, Jonathan Simpson, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Seth Reger, and the producer

. In a statement, Max described the lyrics as "realizing that you're in love with someone to a degree that feels almost beyond your control". "Freaking Me Out" charted on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart at number 29.

Composition

"Freaking Me Out" is described by Brittany Spanos of ''

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

'' as an initial

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

tease with a guitar introduction, which escalates into a "midtempo pop song" during the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

as Max sings the pop

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

, "I'm falling for you / So much so / That it's freaking me out". According to the song's sheet music that was published on Musicnotes.com, it is set in the

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...

of common time, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 98 beats per minute, while composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

of E major. Max's voice on the track ranges from the low note of E₃ to the high note of E₅, while the song is constructed in

verse–chorus form Verse–chorus form is a musical form going back to the 1840s, in such songs as " Oh! Susanna", " The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", and many others. It became passé in the early 1900s, with advent of the AABA (with verse) form in the T ...

. The song's lyrics utilize

tropes to represent the anxiety of falling, as Max sings the hook over a "vibrant" pop production. She uses "growly vocals" as the lyrics describe the feeling of losing senses during a new relationship.

Music video

was released as a Halloween special on October 31, 2019. It was directed by Edgar Daniel, and is a literal retelling of the song's lyrics with gothic and glamorous visuals. The video begins as Max observes the ocean waves. While inside a mansion, she is chained by a man within the basement, which serves as a metaphor to describe Max's unfamiliar and terrifying feelings in a relationship. Madeline Roth of MTV News noted that while the music video contained scary scenes such as a dungeon, rocking chair, and a drummer boy, it also included several romantic moments which acknowledged that it is a

love song A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...

metadata. * Amanda Ava Kocivocals, songwriting * Henry Walterproduction, songwriting *

songwriting * Jonathan Simpsonsongwriting * Mark Williamssongwriting * Raul Cubinasongwriting * Seth Regersongwriting

Charts

References

{{authority control 2019 singles 2019 songs Ava Max songs Songs written by Ava Max Songs written by Cirkut Song recordings produced by Cirkut