"X" is a song by American singer

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug opi ...

, released as a single on October 25, 2018. It is the fifth single from her second studio album ''

Am I a Girl? ''Am I a Girl?'' is the second studio album by American singer and YouTube personality Poppy. It was released on October 31, 2018, by her own label I'm Poppy and Mad Decent. The Am I a Girl? Tour was performed throughout late 2018 and early 2019. ...

'' and its fourteenth and final track. The music video was released on November 5. It was the official theme song for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix the following January.

Release

"X" was released on digital streaming platforms as the fifth and final single from Poppy's second studio album ''

'' and was picked as the theme song for

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

's NXT TakeOver: Phoenix event in 2019. The song's acoustic version was released on January 8, 2019.

Music video

The music video for "X" was released on November 5, 2018. This video was inspired by the 1976 film ''

Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...

''. An acoustic version of "X" was released on Poppy's YouTube channel on January 8, 2019 and as a single for download on January 17, 2019.

Composition

"X" explores heavier territory similar to "Play Destroy", her collaboration with

Grimes Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has in ...

, with Poppy describing both tracks as a new genre called "Poppymetal". "X" features "contradicting verses and melodies", with heavy metal parts in which the singer "begs to be made bloody" and peaceful sections with harmonies where she sings about wanting to "love everyone". The song is in the key of F# minor with a BPM of 114.

Reception

Andy Hill from ''

Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 ...

'' states: "It's a masterpiece. So much packed in – the legit

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

, the retro-horror shoutouts, the note-perfect peace and love hippy interludes. It's her '

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack ...

'. High art for the Ritalin generation." Anna Fair from ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' states: "While the peaceful verses are accompanied by delightful harmonies and a scene right out of the '60s, the immediate scene following is dark. Heavy metal guitars back Poppy's vocals, and she gets her wish please get me bloody'"

Track listings

Digital download and streaming # "X" – 2:54 Digital download and streaming (acoustic) # "X" (acoustic) – 2:08

Release history

References

{{Poppy 2018 singles 2018 songs Poppy (entertainer) songs Songs written by Titanic Sinclair