Deluxe Edition with three bonus tracks: The xx’s anticipated third album, ‘I See You’, is the follow up to the band’s two previous albums ‘xx’ and ‘Coexist’. ‘I See You’ marks a new era for the London trio of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith, both sonically and in terms of process - while ‘xx’ and ‘Coexist. Watch the video for I Dare You from The xx's I See You for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.

• The Xx Full Album

I See You is the third studio album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released on 13 January 2017 by the Young Turks record label.^[3] It is the band's first release in more than four years, following their 2012 album Coexist.

The xx began recording I See You in 2014 at Marfa Recording Co. in Marfa, Texas, and were assisted by producer Rodaidh McDonald. According to the band, they had a more progressive, wide-ranging musical concept in mind, compared to their previous two albums. Jamie xx, the band's multi-instrumentalist and producer, said the album's sound and aesthetic were influenced by his 2015 club-influenced solo recording, In Colour.

I See You was released to widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers finding its music less insular than the xx's previous recordings. It became the band's second number-one album in the United Kingdom and an international top-ten chart success. To promote the album, four songs were released as singles, including 'On Hold', while the xx embarked on the European I See You Tour and subsequent concerts in the Americas.

• 3Critical reception
• 5Personnel
• 6Charts

Recording and production[edit]

The xx announced in May 2014 that they were working on their third studio album with producer Rodaidh McDonald at Marfa Recording Co., a recording studio in Marfa, Texas.^[4] According to Mixmag journalist Stephen Worthy, a 'watershed' moment had occurred immediately before recording commenced when during a series of New York concerts, the trio—Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith—'barely made eye contact with their audience. It was their way of saying goodbye to the old xx'. While working on I See You, Croft enrolled in a songwriting course in California, Sim modeled for Christian Dior SE, and Smith released a solo album, 2015's In Colour.^[5]

Smith, the xx's producer and multi-instrumentalist, stated that In Colour 'definitely informed what we're doing' for I See You, while the band said the record would have a 'completely different concept' from their first two albums.^[6] They also said the album would sound 'more outward-looking, open and expansive'.^[7]I See You was described by AnyDecentMusic? as an album of indie rock and dream pop music,^[8] while Matt Hobbs from God Is in the TV said the xx expanded on the dance portion of their usual fusion of indie and alternative dance sounds.^[9] According to Pitchfork's November 2016 update on the album, I See You was ultimately recorded between March 2014 and August 2016 at studios in Marfa, New York City, Los Angeles, London, and Reykjavík.^[3]

Release and promotion[edit]

The album's lead single, 'On Hold', was released on 10 November 2016, premiering on the xx's YouTube account ahead of the album's release date being announced.^[10] On 19 November, the band performed as the musical guest on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.^[11] 'Say Something Loving' was released as the second single on 1 January 2017.^[12]

I See You was released on 13 January 2017 by Young Turks. In its first week, it sold 26,513 copies in the United Kingdom and debuted at number one on the British albums chart, becoming the xx's second album to top the chart, after Coexist did in 2012.^[13] In the United States, I See You debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and recorded 46,000 album-equivalent units; 36,000 of these were traditional album sales.^[14] In Japan, it entered the Oricon Albums Chart at number 34 and sold 2,073 copies in its first week there.^[15]

The xx supported the album with the I See You Tour, performing concerts throughout Europe in February and March 2017. This was followed by a series of music festival appearances in South America, including the Estéreo Picnic Festival in Bogotá and Lollapalooza dates in São Paulo, San Isidro, and Santiago.^[16] A North American tour began on 14 April at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California and concluded on 26 May in Portland, Maine.^[17]

Critical reception[edit]

I See You was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 35 reviews.^[18] According to Kitty Empire, it was hailed by critics as the xx's 'least insular album thus far'.^[29]

Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis said the record 'pulls off the feat of managing to sound both exactly like the xx and unlike anything they have done before'. He believed the band's willingness to explore musical influences from Smith's In Colour album gave the tracks a 'richer and fuller' quality than on their previous records.^[22]I See You was called 'the most eclectic, multidimensional, and ambitious album of The xx’s young career' by Philip Cosores from The A.V. Club,^[20] while Entertainment Weekly's Nolan Feeney deemed it 'the boldest work yet from a band famous for subtlety'.^[21] In the opinion of Uncut reviewer Sam Richards, the band 'expanded their horizons without sacrificing any of the emotional intimacy that makes them one of the most compelling acts around'.^[30]Q critic Victoria Segal noted its shared lyrical themes with Coexist and echoes of the 'club culture' from In Colour, while concluding that musically, the band were 'extending past glories rather than copying them'.^[26] 'Sim's and Madley Croft's vocal melodies are sturdier and more shapely than in the past', Mikael Wood wrote in the Los Angeles Times, surmising it to be 'a product perhaps of the time Madley Croft spent in L.A. between xx albums working on potential songs for pop stars.'^[31]

Some critics were less enthusiastic. In Vice, Robert Christgau observed artistic growth and accessibility in songs such as 'On Hold', 'Say Something Loving', and 'Brave for You'; but said, 'however impressive their originality and skill, the details always end up getting away' throughout the album's 'indistinct murmurs .. because in the end the band's shared aesthetic is so contained.'^[28]Will Hodgkinson was more critical in The Times, writing that the album failed to 'hit the highs of their previous work' while accusing the group of posturing, making note of Croft's 'breathy emoting' on 'Brave for You'.^[32] Young fathers tape one download.

Accolades[edit]

Loudtronix free mp3 download. According to Acclaimed Music, I See You was the 16th most prominently ranked record on critics' year-end lists of 2017's best albums.^[33] It was also nominated for IMPALA's European Album of the Year Award.^[34]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics written by Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft; all music composed by Jamie Smith, Sim, and Croft; all tracks produced by Smith and Rodaidh McDonald; unless otherwise noted.

Sample credits

• 'Say Something Loving' contains a sample of 'Do You Feel It', performed by Alessi, and written by Bobby and Billy Alessi, and homage to 'The Sweetest Taboo', performed by Sade, and written by Sade Adu and Martin Ditcham.
• 'Lips' contains a sample of just (after song of songs) performed by Trio Mediæval, Garth Knox, Agnès Vesterman and Sylvain Lemêtre, and written by David Lang
• 'On Hold' contains a sample of 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)', performed by Daryl Hall & John Oates and written by Sara Allen, Daryl Hall and John Oates
• 'Naive' contains a sample of 'Doing It Wrong', performed by Drake, and written by Aubrey Graham, Adrian Eccleston, Don McLean and Noah Shebib

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[60]

The xx[edit]

• Romy Madley Croft – guitar, vocals; keyboards (tracks 2, 10); additional production (tracks 2, 10); art direction, design
• Oliver Sim – bass, vocals; photography
• Jamie Smith – synths, drums, keys; violin (track 5); piano (tracks 6, 11); vocals (track 10); guitar (track 12); production, engineering; programming; mixing; string arrangements (tracks 5, 12)

Additional personnel[edit]

• Rodaidh McDonald – production, engineering
• David Wrench – additional programming; mixing
• Marta Salogni – engineering
• John Davis – mastering
• Caius Pawson – A&R; management
• Stella Mozgawa – drums (tracks 2, 11)
• Hal Ritson – brass recording and engineering (track 1); additional programming, bass guitar (track 1)
• Neil Waters – trumpet (track 1)
• Ben Somers – saxophone (track 1)
• Iskra Strings – strings (tracks 5, 12)
• John Smart – violin (tracks 5, 12)
• Oli Langford – violin (tracks 5, 12)
• James Underwood – violin (tracks 5, 12)
• Eos Counsell – violin (tracks 5, 12)
• Emma Owens – viola (tracks 5, 12)
• Laurie Anderson – viola (tracks 5, 12)
• Peter Gregson – cello (tracks 5, 12)
• Charlotte Eksteen – cello (tracks 5, 12)
• Paul Frith – orchestration (track 5)
• Sam Thompson – orchestration (track 12)
• Phil Lee – art direction, design
• Simon Guzylack – management

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^I See You (album liner notes). The xx. Young Turks. 2017.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. ^'Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases - ..' All Access.
3. ^ ^abSodomsky, Sam; Monroe, Jazz (10 November 2016). 'The xx Announce New Album I See You'. Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
4. ^'The xx reveal third album recording sessions in Texas'. NME. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
5. ^Worthy, Stephen (3 February 2017). 'February: 18 Albums You Need to Hear This Month'. Mixmag. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
6. ^Amy Davidson (12 May 2015). 'Jamie xx has hinted at what to expect from The xx's new album'. DigitalSpy. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
7. ^Shepherd, Jack (10 November 2016). 'The XX announce new album I See You, release first single 'On Hold''. The Independent. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
8. ^ ^ab'I See You by The xx reviews'. AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
9. ^Hobbs, Matt (16 January 2017). 'The XX – I See You (Young Turks)'. God is in the TV. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
10. ^Young, Alex (10 November 2016). 'The xx announce new album, I See You, share 'On Hold' — listen'. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
11. ^Crucchiola, Jordan (10 November 2016). 'Kristen Wiig to Host Saturday Night Live With Musical Guest the xx'. Vulture. Retrieved 14 November 2016 – via New York Media, LLC.
12. ^Middleton, Ryan (3 January 2017). 'The xx 'Say Something Loving': Soothing New Single Released From 'I See You''. Music Times. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
13. ^Homewood, Ben (20 January 2017). 'The xx debut at No.1 with new album I See You'. Music Week. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
14. ^Caulfield, Keith (22 January 2017). 'The xx Debuts at No. 2 on Billboard 200 Chart, The Weeknd Holds at No. 1'. Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
15. ^週間　CDアルバムランキング [Weekly CD Album Ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. 23 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
16. ^'The xx Announces New International Tour Dates Behind 2017 Album 'I See You''.
17. ^'The xx Announce 2017 North American Tour'.
18. ^ ^ab'Reviews for I See You by The xx'. Metacritic. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
19. ^Phares, Heather. 'I See You – The xx'. AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
20. ^ ^abCosores, Philip (13 January 2017). 'With the expansive I See You, The xx is ready for big stages and radio waves'. The A.V. Club. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
21. ^ ^abFeeney, Nolan (12 January 2017). 'The xx's I See You: EW Review'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
22. ^ ^abPetridis, Alexis (12 January 2017). 'The xx: I See You review – stepping out of their own shadow'. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
23. ^O'Connor, Roisin (5 January 2017). 'Album reviews: The xx, Elbow, Run The Jewels, You Me At Six, Sundara Karma'. The Independent. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
24. ^Cochrane, Greg (4 January 2017). 'The xx – 'I See You' review'. NME. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
25. ^Richardson, Mark (12 January 2017). 'The xx: I See You'. Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
26. ^ ^abSegal, Victoria (March 2017). 'Let in the Light'. Q (369): 109.
27. ^Dolan, Jon (11 January 2017). 'Review: The xx's Minimal Sound Gets Expansive Update on 'I See You''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
28. ^ ^abChristgau, Robert (3 June 2017). 'Robert Christgau on Cloud Nothings, The xx, and Japandroids'. Vice. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
29. ^Empire, Kitty (8 January 2017). 'The xx: I See You review – a new touch of colour'. The Observer. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
30. ^Richards, Sam (February 2017). 'The xx: I See You'. Uncut (237): 22.
31. ^Wood, Mikael (11 January 2017). 'The xx lightens up — or does it? — on 'I See You''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
32. ^Hodgkinson, Will (13 January 2017). 'Pop: The xx: I See You'. The Times. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
33. ^'I See You'. Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
34. ^'22 acts in the running for best European independent album'. IMPALA. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
35. ^'Best Albums of 2017: Billboard's Top 50 Picks'. Billboard. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
36. ^'Diffuser's Top 25 Albums of 2017'. Diffuser.fm. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
37. ^'The 50 Best Albums Released in 2017'. Digital Trends. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
38. ^'The 50 best albums of 2017'. Double J. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
39. ^'The 50 Best Albums of 2017'. Esquire UK. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
40. ^'Exclaim's Top 20 Pop & Rock Albums of 2017'. Exclaim!. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
41. ^'the best albums of 2017 - Fopp'. Fopp.com. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
42. ^'The 25 Best Albums of 2017'. Snobiety. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
43. ^'The 30 best albums of 2017'. The Independent. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
44. ^'The Top 50 Albums of 2017'. Mixmag. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
45. ^'NME's Albums of the Year 2017'. NME. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
46. ^'The Best Albums of 2017'. No Ripcord. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
47. ^'Album van het jaar'. OOR.nl. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
48. ^'The 50 Best Albums of 2017'. Paste. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
49. ^'The 50 Best Albums of 2017'. Pitchfork. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
50. ^'The 60 Best Albums of 2017'. PopMatters. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
51. ^'The Best Albums of 2017'. Pretty Much Amazing. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
52. ^'Q Magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2017'. Q Magazine. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
53. ^'The 30 Best New Albums of 2017'. Radio X. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
54. ^'Rolling Stone Australia - 50 Best Albums of 2017'. Rolling Stone Australia. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
55. ^'Top 20 Albums of 2017 - Spectrum Culture'. Spectrum Culture. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
56. ^'The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017'. The Skinny. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
57. ^'Time Top Ten Album of the Year 2017'. Time. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
58. ^'Uncut's 75 Best Albums of 2017'. Album of the Year. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
59. ^'50 Best Albums of 2017'. Uproxx. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
60. ^I See You (CD liner notes). The xx. Young Turks. 2017. YTCD161.CS1 maint: others (link)
61. ^'Australiancharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
62. ^'Austriancharts.at – The xx – I See You' (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
63. ^'Ultratop.be – The xx – I See You' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
64. ^'Ultratop.be – The xx – I See You' (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
65. ^'The xx Chart History (Canadian Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
66. ^'Czech Albums – Top 100'. ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201703 on the field besides the word 'Zobrazit', and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
67. ^'Danishcharts.dk – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
68. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – The xx – I See You' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
69. ^'The xx: I See You' (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
70. ^'Lescharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
71. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – The xx – I See You' (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
72. ^'Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 3/2017)'. IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
73. ^'Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2017. 3. hét' (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
74. ^'Irish-charts.com – Discography The xx'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
75. ^'Top 20 Independent – Week Ending 20 Jan 2017'. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
76. ^'Italiancharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
77. ^アイ・シー・ユー ザ・エックス・エックス [I See You The xx] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
78. ^'Oricon Top 50 International Albums: 2017-01-23'. Oricon. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
79. ^'Top Album – Semanal (del 20 de Enero al 26 de Enero)' (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
80. ^'Charts.org.nz – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
81. ^'Norwegiancharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
82. ^'Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart'. OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
83. ^'Portuguesecharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
84. ^'Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
85. ^'Spanishcharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
86. ^'Swedishcharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
87. ^'Swisscharts.com – The xx – I See You'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
88. ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
89. ^'Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
90. ^'The xx Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
91. ^'The xx Chart History (Independent Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
92. ^'The xx Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
93. ^'The xx Chart History (Top Rock Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
94. ^'ARIA End of Year Albums 2017'. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
95. ^'Jaaroverzichten 2017 – Albums' (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
96. ^'Rapports Annuels 2017 – Albums' (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
97. ^'Jaaroverzichten – Album 2017' (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
98. ^'Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming) – 2017' (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
99. ^'Swiss Year-End Charts 2017'. swisscharts.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
100. ^'End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2017'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
101. ^'Independent Albums – Year-End 2017'. Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
102. ^'Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2017'. Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
103. ^'Jaaroverzichten 2018'. Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
104. ^'British album certifications – The xx – I See You'. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 December 2017.Select albums in the Format field.Select Gold in the Certification field.Type I See You in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.

External links[edit]

• I See You at Discogs (list of releases)

Mark your calendars, The xx will release their new album, Coexist on September 11, just over three years since they released their masterful self-titled debut. Moreover, we now have the album's official artwork and tracklist. Check those out above and below, respectively.

UPDATE: Read our review and stream the album in full!

Click on the links below to listen to new tracks.

The xx: Coexist

The Xx Full Album

01 Angels
02 Chained
03 Fiction
04 Try
05 Reunion
06 Sunset
07 Missing
08 Tides
09 Unfold
10 Swept Away
11 Our Song