XXXO
Encyclopedia
"XXXO" is a song by recorded by musician M.I.A.
for her third studio album /\/\/\Y/\
. The song was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Charles "Blaqstarr" Smith
and Cherry Byron-Withers, and produced by Blaqstarr and Rusko
. "XXXO" was released as a digital download
on 11 May 2010 following its world premiere on radio the previous day, and was released in the UK on June 28, 2010. Jay-Z
is featured on the official remix of the song. "XXXO" is the first official single released from the album and the digital release of "Born Free
".
An uptempo electropop-dance song, "XXXO" exhibits a Tamil folk music-influenced melody with elements of techno, electronica and tribal music displayed. The song's instrumentation consists of marching band
percussion, and draws inspiration from pop music
. "XXXO" is lyrically based on the theme of the creation of a sex symbol and romance in the digital age. Music critics praised the direction of the record, its playful lyrics and futuristic sound. An accompanying music video
for the song was directed by M.I.A. and premiered on 11 August, 2010.
Following the release of /\/\/\Y/\, the song charted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
and number 30 in Scotland, debuting at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart
and number 12 on the UK R&B Chart
. "XXXO" is M.I.A.'s second single to reach the UK top 40 and second most successful single in the UK after "Paper Planes
" reached number 19 in 2009. The single debuted at number 74 in Australia, charted at number 39 in Spain, reached number 60 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100
, and the top 10 on the Danish radio airplay chart and Belgium Singles chart. The video was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the 2011 UK Asian Music Awards
. "XXXO" was danced to by contestants Robert Roldan and Courtney Galliano of So You Think You Can Dance
in 2010 for their Jazz selection. M.I.A. performed the song live for the first time at the Toronto Sound Academy in 2010. The song was listed at number 2 on the NME
's best tracks of 2010 and In October 2011, the publication placed it at number 70 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
as Zane Lowe
's 'Hottest Record in the World' on 11 May, 2010. On the 15 June, 2010, Zane Lowe also made the Jay-Z remix his 'Hottest Record in the World'. "XXXO" was released in the UK on June 28, 2010.
-electronica
club song, drawing heavily from M.I.A.'s trademark percussion and clap beats in each bar and incorporating a folk
style melody. It is considered the most pop
-influenced song on the album, with M.I.A. describing the song as showcasing her "cheesy pop
side". "XXXO" is performed in a tempo of 120 beats per minute.
Charles Aaron of Spin
said the song is "one of M.I.A.'s most plainspoken tracks", reminiscent of the "data-dazed R'n'B" of "Space" on the album. "XXXO" is a portmanteau of "XXX," which most commonly represents pornography, and "XOXO," which implies kisses and hugs; a slant on teenage girls' charm, naivety, and their attempts to appeal to boys. "XXXO" is also meant to be a pun to "Excess Sex Oh", which expresses disapproval of the overly manifested sexuality of modern media. The song's lyrics contain textspeak, and reference iPhones and Twitter.
had concerns about M.I.A.'s third album after listening to previous single "Born Free", but said with "XXXO" his worries had been eased. Wete wrote, "this techno-tinged dance record is what we hoped for from our Sri Lankan anti-pop star. It's an aggressive but friendly love cut dressed up with playful lyrics [...] It's the fun, naughty stuff we like." Rolling Stone
s reviewer characterized the song as a "futuristic, tribal jam," revolving around "little more than reverb-dunked marching-band beat and M.I.A.'s tweaked-to-the-max vocals," before concluding "you have to admire her for always pushing her sound and art forward. When M.I.A. sings, "You want me be somebody who I'm really not," she does it with her middle finger raised high, pointing squarely at your face."
on 18 July 2010 at number 26, following the release of the album /\/\/\Y/\. "XXXO" marks M.I.A.'s second Top 40 single and second most successful single after "Paper Planes" reached number 19 in 2009. The single also debuted at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart
behind Example
's "Kickstarts" as well as number 12 on the UK R&B Chart
.
's best tracks of 2010. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 70 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
account. The music video was to be directed by Hype Williams
, but M.I.A. eventually directed the video. The quirky, playful visuals, evolved from animated web graphics based on M.I.A.’s own designs for the album cover and booklet. The video features shots filmed on M.I.A.'s flipcam. The video for "XXXO" references several online social networking sites and resembles online gifs and animations that are popular on Arabic language
Internet forum
s, blogs, and social/dating websites. It features M.I.A. in a number of headshots amongst glittery floral graphics, resembling those made on Blingee.com. At one point in the clip, four white unicorns gallop across the screen. Golden Arabic-style calligraphy
spells out her name and, at another point, the phrase "click here to download," written in a similar font, scrolls diagonally across the screen. The YouTube screenshots featured on the cover of the /\/\/\Y/\ album also appear in the video, in various video feedback
sequences. The video ends with the MySpace
refrain "Thank you for adding me." As of September, 2011 the video has had over 5 million views on Youtube
.
After a week of upload, the video had over 2 million views on her VEVO account on YouTube. It reached 8 on Billboard
magazine's AOL Video chart of the most streamed video clips on AOL music. On August 18, 2010, the video was aired on Adult Swim
. As of September, 2011 the video has over 5 million views on Youtube
.
on 10 May 2010 in the UK. It was released as a digital download
on 11 July 2010 with the physical release of the single the following day. On 18 July 2010 it reached #26 on the UK Singles Chart
. "XXXO" was danced to by contestants Robert Roldan and Courtney Galliano of So You Think You Can Dance
in 2010.
The song's remix leaked onto the Internet on 10 June 2010. It features rapper Jay-Z
who previously appeared on a remix of the M.I.A. single "Boyz
" from the How Many Votes Fix Mix EP
. In addition to the Jay-Z remix, the single also features the South African-crafted Mujava & DJ Qness mix which since leaking on the internet, has received an immensely significant amount of critical acclaim. Remixed by South African producers DJ Qness and Mujava
. The mix fuses South African Kwaito
, house music and M.I.A.'s pop vocal alignment together bringing out a totally unique sound altogether.
M.I.A. performed the song several times during its release season. She performed "XXXO" at the Sound Academy in Toronto in late 2009. She also performed the song while promoting the rest of the album.
UK 12" Single
US red transparent 7" single
US CD Single
The Remixes (Digital EP)
The Remixes, Part 2 (Digital EP)
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
for her third studio album /\/\/\Y/\
Maya (M.I.A. album)
Maya is the third studio album by British-Tamil recording artist M.I.A., released in July 2010 on her own label, N.E.E.T. Recordings, through XL Recordings and Interscope Records. Songwriting and production for the album were primarily handled by M.I.A., Blaqstarr and Rusko...
. The song was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Charles "Blaqstarr" Smith
Blaqstarr
Charles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore, Maryland area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ...
and Cherry Byron-Withers, and produced by Blaqstarr and Rusko
Rusko (musician)
Christopher Mercer, more commonly known as Rusko, is an English dubstep record producer and DJ who was born on 26 January 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Rusko graduated from Leeds College of Music with a degree in Music Performance...
. "XXXO" was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 11 May 2010 following its world premiere on radio the previous day, and was released in the UK on June 28, 2010. Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
is featured on the official remix of the song. "XXXO" is the first official single released from the album and the digital release of "Born Free
Born Free (M.I.A. song)
"Born Free" is a song by recording artist M.I.A., released alongside an accompanying short film/music video of the same name from her third album, /\/\/\Y/\. "Born Free" was released as the unofficial first single from the album and premiered on internet music stores on April 23, 2010, with the...
".
An uptempo electropop-dance song, "XXXO" exhibits a Tamil folk music-influenced melody with elements of techno, electronica and tribal music displayed. The song's instrumentation consists of marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
percussion, and draws inspiration from pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. "XXXO" is lyrically based on the theme of the creation of a sex symbol and romance in the digital age. Music critics praised the direction of the record, its playful lyrics and futuristic sound. An accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by M.I.A. and premiered on 11 August, 2010.
Following the release of /\/\/\Y/\, the song charted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 30 in Scotland, debuting at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
and number 12 on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. "XXXO" is M.I.A.'s second single to reach the UK top 40 and second most successful single in the UK after "Paper Planes
Paper Planes
"Paper Planes" is a song recorded by musician M.I.A. for her second studio album Kala released in 2007. The song was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer and produced by Diplo with additional production by Switch...
" reached number 19 in 2009. The single debuted at number 74 in Australia, charted at number 39 in Spain, reached number 60 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
, and the top 10 on the Danish radio airplay chart and Belgium Singles chart. The video was nominated for the "Best Video" award at the 2011 UK Asian Music Awards
UK Asian Music Awards
The UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, is an award show that is held annually in the United Kingdom since 2002. It is presented by B4U Music since 2008...
. "XXXO" was danced to by contestants Robert Roldan and Courtney Galliano of So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
in 2010 for their Jazz selection. M.I.A. performed the song live for the first time at the Toronto Sound Academy in 2010. The song was listed at number 2 on the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's best tracks of 2010 and In October 2011, the publication placed it at number 70 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Background
"XXXO" was written by M.I.A., Charles Smith, and Cherry Byron-Withers and produced by Rusko and Blaqstarr. The single was premiered on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
as Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
's 'Hottest Record in the World' on 11 May, 2010. On the 15 June, 2010, Zane Lowe also made the Jay-Z remix his 'Hottest Record in the World'. "XXXO" was released in the UK on June 28, 2010.
Composition
"XXXO" is a beat-driven uptempo synthpopSynthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
-electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
club song, drawing heavily from M.I.A.'s trademark percussion and clap beats in each bar and incorporating a folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
style melody. It is considered the most pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-influenced song on the album, with M.I.A. describing the song as showcasing her "cheesy pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
side". "XXXO" is performed in a tempo of 120 beats per minute.
Charles Aaron of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
said the song is "one of M.I.A.'s most plainspoken tracks", reminiscent of the "data-dazed R'n'B" of "Space" on the album. "XXXO" is a portmanteau of "XXX," which most commonly represents pornography, and "XOXO," which implies kisses and hugs; a slant on teenage girls' charm, naivety, and their attempts to appeal to boys. "XXXO" is also meant to be a pun to "Excess Sex Oh", which expresses disapproval of the overly manifested sexuality of modern media. The song's lyrics contain textspeak, and reference iPhones and Twitter.
Critical reaction
Brad Wete of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
had concerns about M.I.A.'s third album after listening to previous single "Born Free", but said with "XXXO" his worries had been eased. Wete wrote, "this techno-tinged dance record is what we hoped for from our Sri Lankan anti-pop star. It's an aggressive but friendly love cut dressed up with playful lyrics [...] It's the fun, naughty stuff we like." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s reviewer characterized the song as a "futuristic, tribal jam," revolving around "little more than reverb-dunked marching-band beat and M.I.A.'s tweaked-to-the-max vocals," before concluding "you have to admire her for always pushing her sound and art forward. When M.I.A. sings, "You want me be somebody who I'm really not," she does it with her middle finger raised high, pointing squarely at your face."
Chart performance
"XXXO" first debuted on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 18 July 2010 at number 26, following the release of the album /\/\/\Y/\. "XXXO" marks M.I.A.'s second Top 40 single and second most successful single after "Paper Planes" reached number 19 in 2009. The single also debuted at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
behind Example
Example (rapper)
Elliot John Gleave , better known by his stage name Example, is an English singer and rapper signed to Data Records. His name arose due to his initials being E.G., which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "exempli gratia", which means, "for example".Example's third album Playing In The Shadows...
's "Kickstarts" as well as number 12 on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
.
Awards and accolades
The song was listed at #2 on the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's best tracks of 2010. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 70 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Background and synopsis
The official music video was released on August 11, 2010 on her official VEVOVevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
account. The music video was to be directed by Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
, but M.I.A. eventually directed the video. The quirky, playful visuals, evolved from animated web graphics based on M.I.A.’s own designs for the album cover and booklet. The video features shots filmed on M.I.A.'s flipcam. The video for "XXXO" references several online social networking sites and resembles online gifs and animations that are popular on Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s, blogs, and social/dating websites. It features M.I.A. in a number of headshots amongst glittery floral graphics, resembling those made on Blingee.com. At one point in the clip, four white unicorns gallop across the screen. Golden Arabic-style calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
spells out her name and, at another point, the phrase "click here to download," written in a similar font, scrolls diagonally across the screen. The YouTube screenshots featured on the cover of the /\/\/\Y/\ album also appear in the video, in various video feedback
Optical feedback
Optical feedback is the optical equivalent of acoustic feedback. A simple example is the feedback that occurs when a loop exists between an optical input, e.g., a video camera, and an optical output, e.g., a television screen or monitor...
sequences. The video ends with the MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
refrain "Thank you for adding me." As of September, 2011 the video has had over 5 million views on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Reception
Several music critics noted the video's difference to her previous video for "Born Free."After a week of upload, the video had over 2 million views on her VEVO account on YouTube. It reached 8 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's AOL Video chart of the most streamed video clips on AOL music. On August 18, 2010, the video was aired on Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
. As of September, 2011 the video has over 5 million views on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Release and promotion
The song was premiered on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on 10 May 2010 in the UK. It was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 11 July 2010 with the physical release of the single the following day. On 18 July 2010 it reached #26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "XXXO" was danced to by contestants Robert Roldan and Courtney Galliano of So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
in 2010.
The song's remix leaked onto the Internet on 10 June 2010. It features rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
who previously appeared on a remix of the M.I.A. single "Boyz
Boyz (song)
"Boyz" is a song recorded by artist M.I.A. for her second album Kala . The song was released as the album's lead single by XL Recordings and Interscope Records on 11 June 2007 in 12-inch single, CD single, digital download and USB flash drive formats...
" from the How Many Votes Fix Mix EP
How Many Votes Fix Mix EP
How Many Votes Fix Mix is the second EP released in 2008 by the musician M.I.A. . It was released on October 28, 2008 by XL Recordings/Interscope Records and made available on iTunes. It received a full release on November 4, 2008...
. In addition to the Jay-Z remix, the single also features the South African-crafted Mujava & DJ Qness mix which since leaking on the internet, has received an immensely significant amount of critical acclaim. Remixed by South African producers DJ Qness and Mujava
DJ Mujava
Elvis Maswanganyi, better known as DJ Mujava, is a South African DJ.-Early life and background:He was raised in the Pretorian town of Attridgeville, where local taxi drivers distributed CDs of his music to their fares.-Career:...
. The mix fuses South African Kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
, house music and M.I.A.'s pop vocal alignment together bringing out a totally unique sound altogether.
M.I.A. performed the song several times during its release season. She performed "XXXO" at the Sound Academy in Toronto in late 2009. She also performed the song while promoting the rest of the album.
Track listings
Digital single- "XXXO" (album version) – 2:58
UK 12" Single
- "XXXO" (album version) – 2:58
- "XXXO" (Riton ReRub) – 3:48
- "XXXO" (SBTRKT remix) – 3:33
- "XXXO" (BlaqstarrBlaqstarrCharles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore, Maryland area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ...
dirty mix) – 3:03
US red transparent 7" single
- "XXXO" (album version) – 2:58
- "XXXO" (BlaqstarrBlaqstarrCharles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore, Maryland area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ...
dirty mix) – 3:03
US CD Single
- "XXXO" (Fulton Yard / WaltBoogie remix) featuring Jay-Z – 3:04
- "XXXO" (Fulton Yard / Rieces Pieces remix) featuring Jay-Z – 2:56
- "XXXO" (main mix) featuring Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
– 2:53 - "XXXO" (SBTRKT remix) – 3:33
- "XXXO" (Various remix) – 3:01
- "XXXO" (Riton ReRub) – 3:48
The Remixes (Digital EP)
- "XXXO" (main mix) featuring Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
– 2:53 - "XXXO" (Fulton Yard / WaltBoogie remix) featuring Jay-Z – 3:04
- "XXXO" (Fulton Yard / Rieces Pieces remix) featuring Jay-Z – 2:56
The Remixes, Part 2 (Digital EP)
- "XXXO" (SBTRKT remix) – 3:33
- "XXXO" (Various remix) – 3:01
- "XXXO" (Riton ReRub) – 3:48
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Adult Contemporary Airplay) |
29 |
| Japan (Billboard Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... ) |
60 |