"Unlock It"
Promotional single by Charli XCX featuring Kim Petras and Jay Park
from the album Pop 2
Released2017
Length3:52
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Unlock It" is a 2017 song by Charli XCX featuring Kim Petras and Jay Park from XCX's mixtape Pop 2. It samples A. G. Cook's "Beautiful", and was renamed "Unlock It (Lock It)" in 2021 after going viral on TikTok. In 2022, Piri & Tommy released a cover that Vice rated as the 14th best song of 2022.

Charli XCX version

Charli XCX's version was released on 11 December 2017,[1] four days before the release of its parent mixtape Pop 2.[2] The song samples "Beautiful" by A. G. Cook, who also produced the album,[3] and features a spoken word chorus.[4] A mashup remix of the song by American DJ/producer Jeff Prior went viral in 2021 after being used in an accompanying dance on TikTok, eventually soundtracking 2,400,000 videos.[5] On 2 May 2021, she updated the song's title to streaming platforms to "Unlock It (Lock It)"; after being criticised for this, she took to Twitter to explain herself.[6] XCX's version was described by Indiependent.co.uk as a "hyperpop classic",[4] while Clash Magazine described it as having "[a] power chorus, pure electronic happiness, bold, computerized melodies, and lyrics that offer cosmic escapism", and offered particular praise for the line "cosmic kiss, tastes like cherry maraschino", calling it "sweetly satisfying".[7]

Piri & Tommy version

Piri & Tommy released a cover version of the song in 2022 to streaming platforms on 11 November 2022 under the lowercase title "unlock it".[8] They had previously released the song as an Apple Music exclusive on 13 September 2022,[9] five days after opening for Charli XCX at a Brighton concert,[10] accompanied by an acoustic version of "on & on".[9] Their version of the song was described by Indiependent.co.uk as a "blend [of] bubblegum pop and drum & bass",[4] while Clash Magazine described the song as "reminiscent of the original [but] deliver[ing] a more laidback edge", piri's vocals as "silky smooth, laced in AutoTune, [and] bathed in reverb and delay", the song's drums as having "a low fidelity edge" and Tommy's production as "clean and polished, opting for a less-is-more approach with a batch of gloss synthesisers and a deep sub bass".[11] In addition, their version of the song was rated as the fourteenth best song of 2022 by Vice.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Charli XCX Shares 'Unlock It' Feat. Kim Petras and Jay Park". Billboard. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Charli XCX reveals brand new single 'Unlock It'". NME. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Charli XCX shares sublimely synthy slow jam "Unlock It" featuring Kim Petras and Jay Park". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Track Review: Unlock It // piri & tommy". Indiependent.co.uk. 14 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Dazed (6 April 2021). "We give thanks for the TikTok resurrection of Charli XCX's 'Unlock It'". Dazed. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Charli XCX discusses relationship between artists and fans after updating "Unlock it" title". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Charli XCX: Her 17 Best Songs". Clash Magazine. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "piri Singles and EPs discography". Spotify. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Apple Music Home Session: piri & tommy by piri & tommy on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Charli XCX plays intimate Brighton concert". Brighton & Hove News. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "piri & Tommy Share Charli XCX Cover 'Unlock It'". CLASH. 14 November 2022. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "The 50 Best Songs of 2022". Vice. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
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