"Have Mercy" is the debut solo single by American singer Chlöe. It was released on September 10, 2021, after earning fame as part of R&B sister duo

Chloe x Halle Chloe x Halle (pronounced "Chloe and Halle") is an American alternative R&B duo consisting of sisters Chloe Bailey, Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before traveling from their hometown of Mable ...

. Prior to its release, a snippet of the song went viral on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

. It was written by Chlöe, Theron Thomas, and Nija Charles, and was produced by

Murda Beatz Shane Lee Lindstrom (born February 11, 1994), known professionally as Murda Beatz, is a Canadian record producer from Ontario. Working predominantly in hip hop and trap music, he has produced hit songs and albums for various musical acts since 2 ...

, Chlöe, Joseph L'étranger,

FnZ FNZ (also known as Finatik N Zac) are an Australian record production duo composed of Michael "Finatik" Mulé and Isaac "Zac" De Boni. The group was formed in 2009, signing to fellow producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment the following ...

and BoogzDaBeast. Positively reviewed by critics, "Have Mercy" debuted at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and at number 10 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. Musically, the song is an uptempo song, with music critic Kyle Denis describing it as a "raucous and joyous ode to large derrières". A music video directed by Karena Evans was released alongside the song itself, and stars Chlöe as the head of a sorority full of

gorgon The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to sto ...

s who seduce men in order to turn them into stone. She gave her debut live performance of the song at the

2021 MTV Video Music Awards The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were held on September 12, 2021, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. This marked the first time in eight years that the venue hosted the show. The show was hosted by hip-hop rapper and singer Doja ...

, which earned praise from critics.

Background and release

Prior to releasing "Have Mercy", Chlöe found fame performing alongside her sister as part of the R&B duo

. In 2021, the two embarked on solo careers, with Halle starring in the 2023 film ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

'', and Chlöe releasing covers of popular songs on social media. On July 1, 2021, Chlöe's 23rd birthday, she teased "Have Mercy" by posting a

video of her dancing and

twerking Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of African-American dance, dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving Pelvic thrusting, throwing or thrusting the hips back or shaking the buttocks, often in a Partial squat, ...

on a bed to a snippet of the song, with the caption "This is 23… HAVE MERCY". The snippet went viral and was used in over 8,000,000 videos on the platform. Promotional photos for the single, taken by Edwig Stenson (who also did Chlöe's makeup for the photos) were released on August 24. She revealed the release date and cover art for the song, the latter of which depicts Chlöe in a revealing outfit, on September 6. "Have Mercy" was released on September 10, 2021, as Chlöe's debut solo single, and as the lead single from her debut album.

Composition

"Have Mercy" was produced by Canadian record producer

with Chlöe, Joseph L'étranger,

and BoogzDaBeast, and its uptempo,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

-heavy beat is built around a sample of the Jersey club and

Baltimore club Baltimore club, also called B'more club, B'more house or simply B'more, is a music genre that fuses breakbeat and house. It was created in Baltimore in the early 1990s by Frank Ski, Scottie B, Shawn Caesar, DJ Technics, DJ Class, DJ Patrick, K ...

song "Off the Chain" by TT the Artist and Uniiqu3. It was written by the song's producers along with Marquis Gasque, Theron Thomas, and Nija Charles. It is an upbeat song that Chlöe described as

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

, with boastful lyrics that focus on Chlöe's buttocks and curvaceous figure and men's infatuation with her.

Critical reception

Jessica McKinney of ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' called Chlöe "hypnotizing" on "Have Mercy", and wrote that the song "boasts major sex appeal". ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American progressive online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and ...

''s Jazmine Denise wrote that Chlöe "came out swinging" with "Have Mercy", calling it a "spicy anthem". ''

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 advertis ...

''s Andrew Unterberger called the song a "booty anthem for the ages". Margaret Farrell of ''Flood'' wrote that the song, which she called "seductive" and "confident", is "beaming with sexual autonomy and next-level bravado" and "overflowing with nods to her mentor Mrs. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter". Jandrew Johnson of'' The Afro Desk'' complimented Chloe's songwriting ability, adding that she "truly understands how to write a hit single". In a review of Chlöe's debut album '' In Pieces'', ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

''s Heven Haile compared "Have Mercy" to Beyoncé's performance of "

Crazy in Love "Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé featuring guest vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop, hip hop, and ...

" at the 2003 BET Awards, writing that the song "aspired to a similar 'debuting on top of a neon sign of her name' moment, but landed like a song from the ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

—'body language like speaking

Spanglish Spanglish (a blend of the words "Spanish" and "English") is any language variety (such as a contact dialect, hybrid language, pidgin, or creole language) that results from conversationally combining Spanish and English. The term is mostly u ...

' is something

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would come up with."

Music video

The music video for "Have Mercy" was directed by Karena Evans and filmed in late July 2021. The video was released on the same day as the song. Largely inspired by

1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American jets fly over burning oil fields in the 1991 Gulf War; the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993; the World ...

teen film Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens and/or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with pa ...

s, it stars Chlöe as the head of a sorority house full of undercover

s who seduce a group of fraternity brothers and turn them into stone. It was compared by critics to the story of

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

. The video features several dance sequences, and also stars Rome Flynn as Chlöe's main love interest, a 21-year-old man who goes missing after being turned to stone by her,

Bree Runway Brenda Wireko Mensah (born 18 November 1992), known professionally as Bree Runway, is a British singer and rapper. She signed to EMI Records (former) in 2018 and subsequently released her first commercial EP '' Be Runway'' (2019), followed by he ...

as a sorority sister who spanks one of the fraternity brothers (played by Mark Young) who is dressed only in a

jockstrap A jockstrap is an undergarment for protecting the scrotum and penis or vulva during contact sports or other vigorous physical activity. This article deals chiefly with the genital protective sports gear designed for the male body, colloquially ...

, and

Tina Knowles Celestine Ann "Tina" Beyoncé Knowles (born January 4, 1954) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, author, and philanthropist known for establishing the brands House of Deréon and Miss Tina by Tina Knowles. She is the mother of singe ...

as a sorority house mother. Throughout the video, Chlöe wears a number of different oufits, including a pink plaid blazer with

hot pants Hotpants or hot pants are extremely short shorts. The term was first used by ''Women's Wear Daily'' in 1970 to describe shorts made in luxury fabrics such as velvet and satin for fashionable wear, rather than their more practical equivalents t ...

, square sunglasses, and a diamond choker, as well as another outfit made up of a matching pink bralette and short shorts with socks and heeled sandals. One of the outfits in the video includes a gold jacket originally worn by

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

in a 1981 ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'' spread.

Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and popular music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also written for other publicat ...

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

compared Chlöe's role in the video to that of

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

in the 2002 film ''

Queen of the Damned ''Queen of the Damned'' is a 2002 horror film directed by Michael Rymer from a screenplay by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni, and based on the 1988 novel ''The Queen of the Damned'' by Anne Rice, the third novel of the book series ''The Vampi ...

''. Chlöe's blonde

dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also known as dreads or locs, are a Hairstyle, hairstyle made of rope-like strands of matted hair. Dreadlocks can form naturally in Hair#Texture, very curly hair, or they can be created with techniques like twisting, Backcombing, ba ...

in the video were styled by Kari Williams, Tinisha Meeks, Brittny Chere, and Jehcara Nelson. Her outfits were styled by Zerina Akers.

Reception

Bianca Betancourt of ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...

'' wrote that the video for "Have Mercy" proved that Chlöe was "Beyoncé's ultimate protégé", calling the choreography "high-power" and "sultry" and the outfits "standout ensembles". NPR's Ann Powers described the video's premise as "a sweet flip of horrifically common frat party #metoo narratives" and added that Chlöe's dancing "might cause

Normani Normani Kordei Hamilton ( ; born May 31, 1996), known mononymously as Normani, is an American singer. She first became known as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in t ...

to sweat". In response to fans who questioned Chlöe's decision to wear revealing clothing in the video, she stated, "It's my body, and I'm so proud of it."

Commercial performance

"Have Mercy" debuted at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at number 10 on ''Billboard''s

chart. In January 2022, the song was certified gold by the RIAA.

Live performances

Chlöe's debut performance of "Have Mercy" took place at the

in September 2021, where she was introduced by her sister Halle Bailey. The performance was prefaced by Chlöe standing in a red cape,

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

tically and repeatedly singing her own name before screaming and tearing off the cape. During the performance, she energetically danced and twerked in a hot pink leotard and ankle boots, accompanied by male backup dancers in varsity jackets, while the song's lyrics flashed on the screen behind her. She ended it by licking the microphone and smacking her buttocks. After the performance was over, she left the stage and cried. The performance received praise from

Simone Biles Simone Arianne Biles Owens ( Biles; born March 14, 1997) is an American Artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She is widely regarded as one ...

. Bianca Betancourt of ''Harper's Bazaar'' wrote that the performance "did not disappoint" and "shut down the VMA's stage", while ''

Essence Essence () has various meanings and uses for different thinkers and in different contexts. It is used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property (philosophy), property or set of properties or attributes that make an entity the ...

''s Brooklyn White described it as "electrifying" and wrote that Chlöe "served fashion, face, choreo and vocals". ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''s Melissa Ruggieri wrote that Chlöe's "sassy" performance "showcased how much she has learned from mentor Beyoncé as she imbued her performance with drama, twerking and most importantly, actual vocal talent". ''Billboard''s Heran Mamo ranked the performance the second-best of the night, writing that Chlöe "made her mark on the VMAs stage" and called the choreography "tectonic plate-shifting". ''

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

'' regarded her performance as "one of the most memorable of the night". Ellise Shafer of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that the performance's dance break "proved hlöehas the chops to be a true triple threat", and Adrian Horton of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' referred to her live vocals as "impressive" and remarked that the performance was one of several that were "daring" and "high on sex appeal". ''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

''s Mark Savage also praised her vocals as "flawless" and the choreography as "whip-crack", adding that she "tore up the stage". ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

''s Charu Sinha called her vocals "flawless" and the choreography "complicated", writing that she "commanded the VMAs stage with such obvious star power that it kind of rendered the night's other performances embarrassing by comparison". Chlöe also injured her shoulder during the performance.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. * Chlöelead vocals, production *

background vocals, production, drums, bass, sampler, programming * Boogzproduction * FNZproduction * Joseph L'étrangerproduction * Chris Godbeymixing * Colin Leonardmastering * James Krausserecording * Jason "Cheese" Goldbergrecording * John Lowell Andersonrecording

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Have Mercy (Chloe song) 2021 songs 2021 debut singles Chloe Bailey songs Columbia Records singles Songs written by Chloe Bailey Songs written by Murda Beatz Songs written by Theron Thomas Songs written by Nija Charles