Coexist (album): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|2012 album by the xx}} |
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{{Use British English|date=April 2014}} |
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}} |
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| name = Coexist |
| name = Coexist |
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| type = studio |
| type = studio |
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| artist = [[ |
| artist = [[the xx]] |
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| cover = The xx - Coexist.png |
| cover = The xx - Coexist.png |
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| border = yes |
| border = yes |
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| released = {{Start date|2012|9|5|df=yes}} |
| released = {{Start date|2012|9|5|df=yes}} |
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| recorded = November 2011 – May 2012 |
| recorded = November 2011 – May 2012 |
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| venue = |
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| studio = The xx's studio (London){{efn|The recording location is credited as "Our Studio" in the liner notes.<ref name="liner"/>}} |
| studio = The xx's studio (London){{efn|The recording location is credited as "Our Studio" in the liner notes.<ref name="liner"/>}} |
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| genre = [[Indie pop]] |
| genre = [[Indie pop]] |
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| label = [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] |
| label = [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] |
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| producer = [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] |
| producer = [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] |
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| prev_title = [[ |
| prev_title = [[Xx (The xx album)|xx]] |
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| prev_year = 2009 |
| prev_year = 2009 |
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| next_title = [[I See You (The xx album)|I See You]] |
| next_title = [[I See You (The xx album)|I See You]] |
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'''''Coexist''''' is the second studio album by English [[indie pop]] band [[the xx]]. It was released 5 September 2012 by the [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] record label. |
'''''Coexist''''' is the second studio album by English [[indie pop]] band [[the xx]]. It was released 5 September 2012 by the [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] record label. |
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After a break from touring for their [[ |
After a break from touring for their [[Xx (The xx album)|2009 self-titled first album]], the xx's band members began to write songs individually before they recorded ''Coexist'' from November 2011 to May 2012. For the album, the group drew on personal experiences for their songwriting, while their music was influenced by the [[electronic dance music|electronic dance]] scene that occurred when they had been away on tour. It was produced by the band's [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]], who had pursued electronic dance on other projects and developed as a [[disc jockey|DJ]] prior to the album. |
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''Coexist'' features a minimalist musical style with spatial arrangements, loose song structure, |
''Coexist'' features a minimalist musical style with spatial arrangements, loose song structure, minimal variation in [[dynamics (music)|dynamics]], and experimentation with [[tension (music)|tension]]. Its songs are characterised by sparse elements such as simple [[chord progression]], keyboard [[ostinato]]s, and [[fade (audio engineering)|fading]] [[Motif (music)|motifs]], while Smith's production incorporates both [[programming (music)|programmed]] beats and live percussion instruments. The lyrics, written by guitarist [[Romy Madley Croft]] and bassist [[Oliver Sim]], feature inner monologue and simple metaphors to explore a failing relationship and the emotional dynamics of a romance. |
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The album debuted at number one on the United Kingdom's [[Official Albums Chart]] while selling 58,266 copies. It also charted in the top 10 in several other countries and was eventually certified platinum by the [[Independent Music Companies Association]], having sold at least 400,000 copies in Europe. To promote the album, four songs were released as [[single (music)|singles]], including "[[Angels (The xx song)|Angels]]" and "[[Chained (The xx song)|Chained]]", while the xx toured during June to December 2012 throughout Europe and North America. Critically, ''Coexist'' was also a success, with several music publications ranking it as one of the year's top-ten albums. |
The album debuted at number one on the United Kingdom's [[Official Albums Chart]] while selling 58,266 copies. It also charted in the top 10 in several other countries and was eventually certified platinum by the [[Independent Music Companies Association]], having sold at least 400,000 copies in Europe. To promote the album, four songs were released as [[single (music)|singles]], including "[[Angels (The xx song)|Angels]]" and "[[Chained (The xx song)|Chained]]", while the xx toured during June to December 2012 throughout Europe and North America. Critically, ''Coexist'' was also a success, with several music publications ranking it as one of the year's top-ten albums. |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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In 2009, the xx released their [[ |
In 2009, the xx released their [[Xx (The xx album)|self-titled debut album]] to critical acclaim.<ref name="Lamont">{{cite news |last=Lamont |first=Tom |date=1 September 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/02/the-xx-interview-tom-lamont |title=The xx: 'It's abnormal for bands to share so much' |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |location=London |at=The New Review section, p. 23 |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129051636/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/02/the-xx-interview-tom-lamont |archive-date=29 November 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> It was certified [[British Phonographic Industry|platinum]] in the United Kingdom and also sold 350,000 copies in the United States.<ref name="Locker">{{cite magazine |last=Locker |first=Melissa |date=5 September 2012 |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/05/the-xx-take-risks-succeed-on-coexist/ |title=The xx Take Risks, Succeed on Coexist |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |location=New York |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908063159/http://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/05/the-xx-take-risks-succeed-on-coexist/ |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref><ref name="Lipshutz">{{cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=1 June 2012 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/485423/the-xx-announce-new-album-coexist |title=The xx Announce New Album, 'Coexist' |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421181027/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/485423/the-xx-announce-new-album-coexist |archive-date=21 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It showcased their characteristically moody,<ref name="Monger">{{cite web |last=Monger |first=James Christopher |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-xx-mn0002016312/biography |title=The xx {{!}} Biography |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823211734/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-xx-mn0002016312/biography |archive-date=23 August 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] and [[post-dubstep]]-influenced [[indie pop]] style and lyrical themes of loneliness, lust, and love.<ref name="Locker"/><ref name="Mulholland"/> After the departure of group member Baria Qureshi, the xx exclusively played live concerts throughout 2010, including several high-profile summer music festivals,<ref name="Monger"/> and garnered a growing fanbase.<ref name="Lamont"/> The band's popularity grew further when their songs featured in television shows and commercials, and they were also covered and [[sampling (music)|sampled]] by well-known recording artists.<ref name="Locker"/> In 2010, their debut album won the [[Mercury Prize]], an annual music prize awarded for the best record from the UK and Ireland.<ref name="Monger"/> |
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Following an exhausting tour, the xx went on a break.<ref name="Lamont"/> The band's producer and percussionist [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] pursued [[Electronic dance music|electronic dance]] styles on other musical projects,<ref name="Gibb">{{cite web|last=Gibb |first=Rory |date=3 September 2012 |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09912-the-xx-coexist-review-2 |title=The xx | |
Following an exhausting tour, the xx went on a break.<ref name="Lamont"/> The band's producer and percussionist [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] pursued [[Electronic dance music|electronic dance]] styles on other musical projects,<ref name="Gibb">{{cite web|last=Gibb |first=Rory |date=3 September 2012 |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09912-the-xx-coexist-review-2 |title=The xx |website=[[The Quietus]] |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204025010/http://thequietus.com/articles/09912-the-xx-coexist-review-2 |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> creating remixes for [[Radiohead]], [[Adele]],<ref name="McCormick">{{cite news |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |date=7 September 2012 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/9526381/The-xx-Coexist-pop-CD-review.html |title=The xx, Coexist, pop CD review |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908111934/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/9526381/The-xx-Coexist-pop-CD-review.html |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> and [[Florence and the Machine]]. He also collaborated on [[Gil Scott-Heron]]'s 2011 album ''[[We're New Here]]'', and produced [[Drake (entertainer)|Drake]]'s 2012 song "[[Take Care (song)|Take Care]]".<ref name="Monger"/><ref name="Empire">{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=8 September 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/09/the-xx-coexist-review?newsfeed=true|title=The xx: Coexist – review|newspaper=The Observer|at=The New Review section, p. 8|location=London|access-date=9 September 2012|archive-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106045652/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/09/the-xx-coexist-review?newsfeed=true|url-status=live}}</ref> The latter exemplified and helped popularise the xx's sound as well.<ref name="Phares">{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/coexist-mw0002405657 |title=Coexist – The xx |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=14 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917044004/http://www.allmusic.com/album/coexist-mw0002405657 |archive-date=17 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> A novice to [[Disc jockey|DJing]] when starting out with the xx, he subsequently learned its technical aspects and developed a grasp on controlling the crowd through unexpected silences and [[Drop (music)|drops]] during his live sets.<ref name="Dombal">{{cite web |last=Dombal |first=Ryan |date=21 August 2012 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8927-the-xx/ |title=Interviews: The xx |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905111449/http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8927-the-xx/ |archive-date=5 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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== Writing and recording == |
== Writing and recording == |
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[[File:Positivus 2013 IMG 1286 (9974819083).jpg|left|thumb|upright|Romy Madley Croft (pictured in 2013) wanted to write more personal lyrics for ''Coexist''.]] |
[[File:Positivus 2013 IMG 1286 (9974819083).jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Romy Madley Croft]] (pictured in 2013) wanted to write more personal lyrics for ''Coexist''.]] |
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In 2011, the xx opened their own recording studio in London and began writing songs for ''Coexist'' during the summer.<ref name="Lipshutz"/><ref name="Barshad">{{cite web |last=Barshad |first=Amos |date=30 August 2012 |url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8314876/on-road-indie-band-xx-release-their-new-album-coexist |title=Whispering in the Dark |publisher=[[Grantland]]. [[ESPN Internet Ventures]] | |
In 2011, the xx opened their own recording studio in London and began writing songs for ''Coexist'' during the summer.<ref name="Lipshutz"/><ref name="Barshad">{{cite web |last=Barshad |first=Amos |date=30 August 2012 |url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8314876/on-road-indie-band-xx-release-their-new-album-coexist |title=Whispering in the Dark |publisher=[[Grantland]]. [[ESPN Internet Ventures]] |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902184415/http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8314876/on-road-indie-band-xx-release-their-new-album-coexist |archive-date=2 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Each member—guitarist [[Romy Madley Croft]], bassist [[Oliver Sim]], and Smith—wrote music individually and recorded snippets using [[GarageBand]] or their phones.<ref name="Somaiya">{{cite magazine |last=Somaiya |first=Ravi |date=21 August 2012 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-xx-learn-to-coexist-with-stardom-20120821 |title=The xx Learn to 'Coexist' With Stardom |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |location=New York |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824021305/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-xx-learn-to-coexist-with-stardom-20120821 |archive-date=24 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Both Croft and Sim drew on personal experiences and wrote more direct lyrics than on the band's debut to express complex emotions.<ref name="Dombal"/> Sim said of his songwriting for ''Coexist'', "I found myself being a lot less 'moons and stars' and being a lot more literal."<ref name="Dombal"/> Croft felt more expectations from listeners than when the band debuted and consequently turned to more personal songwriting for ''Coexist'': |
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{{cquote|I was sitting at home knowing people were going to hear us and what they were going to say. But late at night when I was writing things down, I eventually got back to writing about myself. And that's good. Because we've got to sing these songs for a while, so it's really important to feel close to them, to feel like they're real.<ref name="Dombal"/>}} |
{{cquote|I was sitting at home knowing people were going to hear us and what they were going to say. But late at night when I was writing things down, I eventually got back to writing about myself. And that's good. Because we've got to sing these songs for a while, so it's really important to feel close to them, to feel like they're real.<ref name="Dombal"/>}} |
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They wrote, recorded, and emailed music back and forth to each other before working together in a rehearsal space in East London.<ref name="Somaiya"/> When he first read them, Smith found Croft and Sim's lyrics to be "purposely ambiguous so people can relate to them", saying in an interview for ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', "I |
They wrote, recorded, and emailed music back and forth to each other before working together in a rehearsal space in East London.<ref name="Somaiya"/> When he first read them, Smith found Croft and Sim's lyrics to be "purposely ambiguous so people can relate to them", saying in an interview for ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', "I mean... if I listen carefully, I do know about their lives intimately so I can guess what they're about. But they don't even tell each other what they're singing about."<ref name="Mulholland"/> |
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The xx started recording ''Coexist'' in November 2011,<ref name="FACT"/> and used a photography studio in North London to record the songs they had put together.<ref name="Somaiya"/> They later used the rehearsal space in East London to practice playing the songs live.<ref name="Somaiya"/> They recorded for six months in London and intended to finish before their scheduled music festival appearances for 2012.<ref name="Copsey">{{cite web |last=Copsey |first=Robert |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a355038/jamie-xx-new-xx-album-in-time-for-2012-festivals.html |title=Jamie xx: 'New xx album in time for 2012 festivals' |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=8 December 2011 | |
The xx started recording ''Coexist'' in November 2011,<ref name="FACT"/> and used a photography studio in North London to record the songs they had put together.<ref name="Somaiya"/> They later used the rehearsal space in East London to practice playing the songs live.<ref name="Somaiya"/> They recorded for six months in London and intended to finish before their scheduled music festival appearances for 2012.<ref name="Copsey">{{cite web |last=Copsey |first=Robert |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a355038/jamie-xx-new-xx-album-in-time-for-2012-festivals.html |title=Jamie xx: 'New xx album in time for 2012 festivals' |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=8 December 2011 |access-date=1 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113204911/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a355038/jamie-xx-new-xx-album-in-time-for-2012-festivals.html |archive-date=13 January 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> The xx's direction for the album was partly inspired by the electronic dance scene that occurred while they toured for their first album,<ref name="Copsey"/> as well as the live DJ sets of Smith,<ref name="Dombal"/> who was mostly listening to dark [[Chicago house]] music at the time.<ref name="Somaiya"/> According to him, "We left [to tour] when we were 17 and we missed out on that chunk of our lives when everyone else was partying."<ref name="Copsey"/> However, he insisted that "we're not looking to make people dance."<ref name="Caramanica"/> They were also influenced by [[reggae fusion|pop-reggae]] band [[UB40]], [[folk music|folk]] act [[Casey Dienel|White Hinterland]], and [[neo soul]] artist [[Van Hunt]], all of whom they listened to while recording ''Coexist''.<ref name="Somaiya"/> Croft viewed the music as a continuation of their debut, "developed, but [not] like completely a world away".<ref name="Somaiya"/> |
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Rather than expand on their debut's sound, the xx wanted to minimise the songs they recorded for ''Coexist'' and mute certain elements during its production.<ref name="Dombal"/> Croft felt that this would help make the music more playable live instead of having to reproduce multiple vocal or guitar elements that were [[multitrack recording|tracked]] onto a song.<ref name="Dombal"/> Smith, who produced and [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] ''Coexist'',<ref name="Locker"/> wanted to keep his production simple and create an emotive, electronic sound. He used [[Logic Pro]] recording software, a [[Roland RE-201|Space Echo]] effects unit, [[preamplifier]]s, and [[Casiotone]]s on occasion,<ref name="Copsey"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thecreatorsproject.com/creators/jamie-xx |title=Jamie xx |publisher=The Creators Project | |
Rather than expand on their debut's sound, the xx wanted to minimise the songs they recorded for ''Coexist'' and mute certain elements during its production.<ref name="Dombal"/> Croft felt that this would help make the music more playable live instead of having to reproduce multiple vocal or guitar elements that were [[multitrack recording|tracked]] onto a song.<ref name="Dombal"/> Smith, who produced and [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] ''Coexist'',<ref name="Locker"/> wanted to keep his production simple and create an emotive, electronic sound. He used [[Logic Pro]] recording software, a [[Roland RE-201|Space Echo]] effects unit, [[preamplifier]]s, and [[Casiotone]]s on occasion,<ref name="Copsey"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thecreatorsproject.com/creators/jamie-xx |title=Jamie xx |publisher=The Creators Project |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713145519/http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/creators/jamie-xx |archive-date=13 July 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> as well as both synthesised [[steelpan]] sounds and live percussion instruments.<ref name="Empire"/> To [[Audio engineering|engineer]] the album, he put together a [[Mixing console|mixing desk]] from pieces of other desks and left doors open during the recording to let sounds from outside the studio [[Spill (audio)|bleed]] into the mix.<ref name="Barshad"/> The xx finished recording ''Coexist'' in May 2012.<ref name="FACT">{{cite journal |url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/06/01/the-xx-unveil-new-album/ |title=The xx unveil new album |journal=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] |location=London |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804195349/http://www.factmag.com/2012/06/01/the-xx-unveil-new-album/ |archive-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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== Musical style == |
== Musical style == |
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[[File:The xx Jamie Smith 2 (cropped).jpg|upright|thumb|[[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] (pictured) drew inspiration from his live DJ sets while producing ''Coexist''.<ref name="Dombal"/>]] |
[[File:The xx Jamie Smith 2 (cropped).jpg|upright|thumb|[[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] (pictured) drew inspiration from his live DJ sets while producing ''Coexist''.<ref name="Dombal"/>]] |
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The songs on ''Coexist'', which [[Edna Gundersen]] of ''[[USA Today]]'' |
The songs on ''Coexist'', which [[Edna Gundersen]] of ''[[USA Today]]'' categorised as [[indie pop]],<ref name="Gundersen">{{cite news |last=Gundersen |first=Edna |author-link=Edna Gundersen |date=10 September 2012 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/story/2012-09-10/listen-up-david-byrne-zz-top/57735880/1 |title=Listen up: Music from the xx, Avett Brothers, David Byrne |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |location=McLean |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911024242/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/story/2012-09-10/listen-up-david-byrne-zz-top/57735880/1 |archive-date=11 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> eschew [[melody|melodic structure]] for [[Minimalism|minimalist]] [[Dynamics (music)|dynamics]] and sparse sounds.<ref name="Liedel"/><ref name="Price">{{cite news |last=Price |first=Simon |date=9 September 2012 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-xx-coexist-young-turksxl-8119959.html |title=Album: The xx, Coexist (Young Turks/XL) |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |location=London |access-date=9 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913055949/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-xx-coexist-young-turksxl-8119959.html |archive-date=13 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> John Calvert of ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'' asserts that it is "a far more meditative album" for deviating from its predecessor's "tight, brisk pop songs", "nuanced [guitar] interplay", and "light dynamics".<ref name="Calvert"/> Jon Caramanica of ''[[The New York Times]]'' comments that songs "unfold ... beginning as [[Pointillism|pointillist]] sketches and ending up as huge, blurry color blocks."<ref name="Caramanica"/> Reflecting the band's electronic dance influences, ''Coexist'' features atmospheric, dance-orientated [[Song structure (popular music)|song structure]]s,<ref name="Ryan"/> deemphasises traditional [[verse-chorus form]],<ref name="Gibb"/> and incorporates influences from [[dubstep]] and [[rave music]].<ref name="Empire"/> ''[[Drowned in Sound]]''{{'}}s Hayden Woolley writes that the music features "watercolour textures and rhythms that seem to lock-in to the ebbing pulse and cadences of the body."<ref name="Woolley"/> Rory Gibb of ''[[The Quietus]]'' believes that ''Coexist'' is neither a "[[pop music|pop]]" nor "[[downtempo]] dance record", but occupies "a hazy space between the two" and is an attempt at "post-[[Burial (musician)|Burial]] pop".<ref name="Gibb"/> Simon Price of ''[[The Independent]]'' asserts that "rather than clubland, ''Coexist'' owes a debt to [[Comedown (drugs)|comedown]]/[[Chill-out music|chillout]] culture".<ref name="Price"/> |
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The songs are |
The songs are characterised by [[Drone (music)|droning]] harmonies,<ref name="Sundermann"/> simple [[chord progression]], keyboard [[ostinato]]s,<ref name="Rosen">{{cite magazine |last=Rosen |first=Jody |author-link=Jody Rosen |date=11 September 2012 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/coexist-20120911 |title=Coexist |magazine=Rolling Stone |location=New York |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914055952/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/coexist-20120911 |archive-date=14 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> ringing guitar,<ref name="Empire"/> resounding [[reverberation|reverb]],<ref name="Liedel"/> slight bass [[groove (music)|grooves]], and [[programming (music)|programmed]] beats.<ref name="McCormick"/> Sim plays [[counterpoint]] melodies on his bass,<ref name="Kot">{{cite news |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |date=28 September 2012 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/turnitup/chi-the-xx-album-review-coexist-reviewed-20120928,0,5857401.column |title=Album review: The xx, 'Coexist' |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=28 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215302/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/turnitup/chi-the-xx-album-review-coexist-reviewed-20120928,0,5857401.column |archive-date=27 May 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> while Croft plays angular [[figure (music)|figures]],<ref name="Hann"/> sketchy [[Scale (music)|musical patterns]],<ref name="Richardson">{{cite web |last=Richardson |first=Mark |date=10 September 2012 |url=https://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17022-coexist/ |title=The xx: Coexist |work=Pitchfork |access-date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912010622/http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17022-coexist/ |archive-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> and melodies developed from [[Dyad (music)|two-note]] [[interval (music)|intervals]]; Price likens Croft's use of the guitar to playing a [[harp]].<ref name="Price"/> Smith's production is largely responsible for the music's lowest frequency sounds and incorporates both [[Four on the floor (music)|four on the floor]] and [[2-step garage|2-step]] beats,<ref name="Gibb"/><ref name="Caramanica"/> subtle [[beats per minute|BPM]] changes,<ref name="McCormick"/> [[heart sounds|heartbeat]]-like drum machine rhythms,<ref name="Maerz">{{cite magazine |last=Maerz |first=Melissa |date=21 September 2012 |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20627105,00.html |title=Coexist – review – The xx Review |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |location=New York |issue=1224–1225 |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019142555/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20627105,00.html |archive-date=19 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> strings, and live percussion such as [[timpani]], [[snare drum]]s, and [[steelpan]]s.<ref name="Calvert">{{cite journal |last=Calvert |first=John |date=3 September 2012 |url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/09/03/the-xx-coexist/ |title=Coexist |journal=Fact |location=London |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905191949/http://www.factmag.com/2012/09/03/the-xx-coexist/ |archive-date=5 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> The latter instrument is played in [[arpeggio]] and exhibits Jamaican music influences.<ref name="Empire"/> Critic [[Will Hermes]] views Smith as a more prominent contributor on ''Coexist'' than on the debut album and comments that "the beats and musical backdrops are more varied and command more attention."<ref>{{cite web|last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |date=14 September 2012 |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/09/14/160605149/haunted-harmonies-on-the-xxs-coexist?ps=mh_frhdl2 |title=Haunted Harmonies on the xx's 'Coexist' |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=14 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915094237/http://www.npr.org/2012/09/14/160605149/haunted-harmonies-on-the-xxs-coexist?ps=mh_frhdl2 |archive-date=15 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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The songs are also spatially [[arrangement|arranged]] and experiment with [[Tension (music)|tension]],<ref name="Kot"/><ref name="Mejia">{{cite web |last=Mejia |first=Paula |date=6 September 2012 |url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/the-xx/coexist/68671/ |title=Album Review: The xx |
The songs are also spatially [[arrangement|arranged]] and experiment with [[Tension (music)|tension]],<ref name="Kot"/><ref name="Mejia">{{cite web |last=Mejia |first=Paula |date=6 September 2012 |url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/the-xx/coexist/68671/ |title=Album Review: The xx – Coexist |publisher=Prefix |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908064343/http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/the-xx/coexist/68671/ |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> including listeners' expectations for a [[hook (music)|hook]] to unfold,<ref name="Lipshutz2">{{cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |location=New York |date=7 September 2012 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1066869/the-xx-coexist-track-by-track-review |title=The xx, 'Coexist': Track-By-Track Review |magazine=Billboard |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528011555/http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1066869/the-xx-coexist-track-by-track-review |archive-date=28 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> a dance beat to develop, and a [[time signature]] to change.<ref name="Dombal"/><ref name="Elan">{{cite journal|last=Elan |first=Priya |date=7 September 2012 |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/the-xx/13661 |title=The xx – 'Coexist' |journal=[[NME]] |location=London |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004020412/http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-xx/13661 |archive-date=4 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Elements such as [[drum beat]]s,<ref name="Kot"/> vocals, and guitar motifs [[Fade (audio engineering)|fade]] to silence throughout the songs.<ref name="Gibb"/><ref name="Woolley"/> [[Kitty Empire]] of ''[[The Observer]]'' comments that "no [[Rhythm|pattern]] here hangs around for more than a couple of [[bar (music)|bars]], and rarely in [[4/4 time|multiples of four]]."<ref name="Empire"/> [[Stephen Thompson (journalist)|Stephen Thompson]] of [[NPR]] comments on the music's lack of dynamism, writing that the band "lets its songs billow out softly and quietly, with only achingly pretty guitar lines to lessen the tension."<ref name="Thompson">{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Stephen |date=2 September 2012 |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/09/03/160323435/first-listen-the-xx-coexist |title=First Listen: The xx, 'Coexist' |publisher=NPR |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907003138/http://www.npr.org/2012/09/03/160323435/first-listen-the-xx-coexist |archive-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Michael Hann of ''[[The Guardian]]'' writes that the album refines the band's "already skeletal frame" and that most of its songs are "defined as much by space as by sound", adding that the music's "[[Rest (music)|gaps]] bring greater emphasis" to guitar, piano, and vocal elements.<ref name="Hann"/> Melissa Locker of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' comments that "each sound, be it instrument or voice, is given ample room to exist and to soar."<ref name="Locker"/> |
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== Lyrics and themes == |
== Lyrics and themes == |
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''Coexist'' deals with themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and intimacy.<ref name="Phares"/><ref name="Hann">{{cite news |last=Hann |first=Michael |date=6 September 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/06/the-xx-coexist-review |title=The xx: Coexist – review |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |at=section G2, p. 25 | |
''Coexist'' deals with themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and intimacy.<ref name="Phares"/><ref name="Hann">{{cite news |last=Hann |first=Michael |date=6 September 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/06/the-xx-coexist-review |title=The xx: Coexist – review |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |at=section G2, p. 25 |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022200858/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/06/the-xx-coexist-review |archive-date=22 October 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> Croft and Sim share lead vocals,<ref name="Liedel">{{cite web|last=Liedel|first=Kevin|date=5 September 2012|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-xx-coexist|title=The xx: Coexist|publisher=[[Slant Magazine]]|access-date=26 May 2014|archive-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203103945/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-xx-coexist|url-status=live}}</ref> which occasionally overlap in [[call and response]] interplay and slow [[crescendo]]s.<ref name="Locker"/> Sim, who cites [[Sade (singer)|Sade]] as an influence, has more assured vocals, while Croft sings in a shyer style and exhibits [[wikt:catch|catches]] in her voice.<ref name="Caramanica"/><ref name="Woolley"/> The lyrics focus on a failing relationship and changes in a romance.<ref name="Empire"/><ref name="Rosen"/><ref name="Mejia"/> Will Ryan of [[Beats Per Minute (website)|Beats Per Minute]] writes that they follow "the back-and-forth complexities of a fractured relationship that ... explores a wilderness of residual feelings left over after said relationship has collapsed."<ref name="Ryan">{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Will |date=14 September 2012 |url=http://beatsperminute.com/reviews/album-review-the-xx-coexist/ |title=Album Review The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Beats Per Minute (website)|Beats Per Minute]] |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923220324/http://beatsperminute.com/reviews/album-review-the-xx-coexist/ |archive-date=23 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Garry Mulholland of ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' interprets the album to be "the story of a relationship broken by the protagonists' tendency to love too much while being unable to express their need to each other."<ref name="Mulholland"/> Eric Sundermann of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' views that the album's songs "all focus on different stages of romantic love, from infatuation to frustration to all the other stuff that falls in between."<ref name="Sundermann">{{cite news |last=Sundermann |first=Eric |date=11 September 2012 |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-xx-coexist-1798174126 |title=The xx: Coexist |newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]] |location=Chicago |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913204732/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-xx-coexist%2C84771/ |archive-date=13 September 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> Kevin Liedel of [[Slant Magazine]] felt that the songs follow-up on the "lovebirds" from the xx's debut album, "now separated and devastated ... mus[ing] on what went wrong".<ref name="Liedel"/> Puja Patel of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' remarks that the band's "fantastical, elemental star-crossed-lover talk has been replaced by evocations of a harder, more aggressively worked-at love".<ref name="Patel">{{cite journal |last=Patel |first=Puja |date=10 September 2012 |url=http://www.spin.com/2012/09/the-xx-coexist-young-turks/ |title=The xx, 'Coexist' (Young Turks) |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |location=New York |access-date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607163908/http://www.spin.com/2012/09/the-xx-coexist-young-turks/ |archive-date=7 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Most of the songs have single-word titles that evoke long sentiments.<ref name="Caramanica"/> |
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The xx's lyrics on ''Coexist'' feature broader diction than on the xx's first record and employ simple metaphors of light and darkness, and distance and time.<ref name="Richardson"/><ref name="Abebe">{{cite journal |last=Abebe |first=Nitsuh |date=12 September 2012 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/music-review-the-xx-coexist.html |title=Abebe: On Coexist, the xx Stay Intimate by Getting Grander |journal=Vulture. |
The xx's lyrics on ''Coexist'' feature broader diction than on the xx's first record and employ simple metaphors of light and darkness, and distance and time.<ref name="Richardson"/><ref name="Abebe">{{cite journal |last=Abebe |first=Nitsuh |date=12 September 2012 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/music-review-the-xx-coexist.html |title=Abebe: On Coexist, the xx Stay Intimate by Getting Grander |journal=Vulture. New York |access-date=12 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915052356/http://www.vulture.com/2012/09/music-review-the-xx-coexist.html |archive-date=15 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> They often express emotional stress,<ref name="Empire"/> yearning,<ref name="Richardson"/> and passive-aggressive attitudes.<ref name="Pan"/> Some songs feature a lyrical [[conceit]] of an emotionally elusive lover as an apparition or an illusion.<ref name="Calvert"/> Croft and Sim avoid traditional [[duet]] lyrics about declarations of love, instead employing inner monologues to depict the same situation from two different perspectives.<ref name="Price"/> Eric Sundermann asserts that, rather than "simply" being "declarations", the songs serve as "the thought process of how to deal with interpersonal struggles."<ref name="Sundermann"/> [[Neil McCormick]] of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' perceives "intimate conversations between forlorn lovers" and an "almost sacred eroticism in Croft and Sim's whispery vocals."<ref name="McCormick"/> [[Drowned in Sound]]'s Hayden Woolley views that the album shares its predecessor's "fragility", "quiet gravitas", and "heavy words", but is "an intensely wind-torn and wounded album that cuts even deeper than its predecessor."<ref name="Woolley">{{cite web |last=Woolley |first=Hayden |date=5 September 2012 |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17208/reviews/4145450 |title=The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Drowned in Sound]] |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906012410/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17208/reviews/4145450 |archive-date=6 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Music journalist Luke Turner calls its subject matter more "turbulent, sensual and fun" than on the group's first album and states, "of course not necessarily a sexual or romantic one, the ''feel'' of this second record is far more earthy, sticky, complicated, like the tension of the second or third encounters after a [[One-night stand|one night stand]]."<ref name="Turner">{{cite web|last=Turner |first=Luke |date=21 August 2012 |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09740-the-xx-coexist-review |title=Earthy & Complicated: The xx's Coexist Track By Track |website=The Quietus |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204042235/http://thequietus.com/articles/09740-the-xx-coexist-review |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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== Songs == |
== Songs == |
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|description = "Reunion" incorporates an atypical musical element—a hypnotic [[steelpan|steel drum]] by Smith,<ref name="Marchese"/> who reworked his bandmates' simpler demo of the song.<ref name="Locker"/> |
|description = "Reunion" incorporates an atypical musical element—a hypnotic [[steelpan|steel drum]] by Smith,<ref name="Marchese"/> who reworked his bandmates' simpler demo of the song.<ref name="Locker"/> |
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"[[Angels (The xx song)|Angels]]" opens ''Coexist'' with a restrained style and soft-spoken verses about the idea of being in love.<ref name="Sundermann"/><ref name="Pan"/> Croft's lyrics compare the premature end of a relationship to "dreaming of angels, and leaving without them",<ref name="Lipshutz"/> and touch on the private knowledge that is acquired through intimacy.<ref name="Hann"/><ref name="Patel"/> "[[Chained (The xx song)|Chained]]" experiments with musical buildup and subtle flourishes,<ref name="Ryan"/> and muffled 2-step beats.<ref name="Gibb"/> Its lyrics lament a couple's distance from each other.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> On "Fiction", Sim's emotive lyrics recount romantic illusions such as "last night the world was beneath us",<ref name="Phares"/> but eventually lead to a catharsis.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> "Try" has [[cycle (music)|oscillating]] guitar lines,<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> sluggish snare drums, and [[loop (music)|looped]] synthesizers.<ref name="Brown">{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Harley |date=10 September 2012 |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/album-review-the-xx-coexist/ |title=Album Review: The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Consequence of Sound]] | |
"[[Angels (The xx song)|Angels]]" opens ''Coexist'' with a restrained style and soft-spoken verses about the idea of being in love.<ref name="Sundermann"/><ref name="Pan"/> Croft's lyrics compare the premature end of a relationship to "dreaming of angels, and leaving without them",<ref name="Lipshutz"/> and touch on the private knowledge that is acquired through intimacy.<ref name="Hann"/><ref name="Patel"/> "[[Chained (The xx song)|Chained]]" experiments with musical buildup and subtle flourishes,<ref name="Ryan"/> and muffled 2-step beats.<ref name="Gibb"/> Its lyrics lament a couple's distance from each other.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> On "Fiction", Sim's emotive lyrics recount romantic illusions such as "last night the world was beneath us",<ref name="Phares"/> but eventually lead to a catharsis.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> "Try" has [[cycle (music)|oscillating]] guitar lines,<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> sluggish snare drums, and [[loop (music)|looped]] synthesizers.<ref name="Brown">{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Harley |date=10 September 2012 |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/album-review-the-xx-coexist/ |title=Album Review: The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Consequence of Sound]] |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005142202/http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/album-review-the-xx-coexist/ |archive-date=5 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Smith experimented with unconventional electronic elements when producing the song.<ref name="Marchese">{{cite journal|last=Marchese|first=David|date=16 August 2012|url=https://www.spin.com/2012/08/xx-share-secrets-behind-songs-coexist/|title=The xx Share the Secrets Behind the Songs on 'Coexist'|journal=Spin|location=New York|access-date=23 September 2012|archive-date=24 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324135225/http://www.spin.com/2012/08/xx-share-secrets-behind-songs-coexist/|url-status=live}}</ref> John Calvert of ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'' asserts that it is a stark "conflation of [[Urban contemporary|urban]] and indie music", noting its "[[Portamento|portomento]]{{sic}} synths and rumble-bass (think '[[Drop It Like It's Hot]]') passing under [[tremolo]] guitar."<ref name="Calvert"/> On "Try", the narrators attempt to evoke feelings of hope and functionality to each other.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> |
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"Reunion" is a [[Film noir|noir]]ish ballad that features reactive emotions by the narrators.<ref name="Elan"/><ref name="Marchese"/> Smith approached its recording as he would remixing a song, working with a demo of bass, guitar, and vocal parts at his own studio and incorporating house and [[techno]] elements.<ref name="Marchese"/> Midway, "Reunion" develops a [[refrain]] of "did I ... see you ... see me ... in a new light?", and pulsating steel drums lead to a somber, rhythmic dance section.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> Its pulsating beat transitions into "Sunset",<ref name="Lipshutz2"/><ref name="Brown"/> a song about the pain shared by estranged ex-lovers.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> The song's muted beat adds tension to the narrative, which Calvert interprets to be "the couple's final farewell – the beat serves to denote the passing of time."<ref name="Calvert"/> "Sunset" also has a subtle [[UK garage]] beat,<ref name="Price"/> [[funky house]] elements,<ref name="Elan"/> and was inspired by the music from Smith's DJing gigs; Croft cited it as "an example of the idea of a kind of song we're all really into, which is heartbreaking dance music".<ref name="Marchese"/> [[Consequence of Sound]]'s Harley Brown views that "Reunion" and "Sunset" make up a congruous mix at "the heart of the album", as Smith "indie-streams these house varieties ... slowing down and alienating beats from their context so |
"Reunion" is a [[Film noir|noir]]ish ballad that features reactive emotions by the narrators.<ref name="Elan"/><ref name="Marchese"/> Smith approached its recording as he would remixing a song, working with a demo of bass, guitar, and vocal parts at his own studio and incorporating house and [[techno]] elements.<ref name="Marchese"/> Midway, "Reunion" develops a [[refrain]] of "did I ... see you ... see me ... in a new light?", and pulsating steel drums lead to a somber, rhythmic dance section.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> Its pulsating beat transitions into "Sunset",<ref name="Lipshutz2"/><ref name="Brown"/> a song about the pain shared by estranged ex-lovers.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> The song's muted beat adds tension to the narrative, which Calvert interprets to be "the couple's final farewell – the beat serves to denote the passing of time."<ref name="Calvert"/> "Sunset" also has a subtle [[UK garage]] beat,<ref name="Price"/> [[funky house]] elements,<ref name="Elan"/> and was inspired by the music from Smith's DJing gigs; Croft cited it as "an example of the idea of a kind of song we're all really into, which is heartbreaking dance music".<ref name="Marchese"/> [[Consequence of Sound]]'s Harley Brown views that "Reunion" and "Sunset" make up a congruous mix at "the heart of the album", as Smith "indie-streams these house varieties ... slowing down and alienating beats from their context so they're even more universal, unobscured by their dance floor origins."<ref name="Brown"/> |
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|description = "Swept Away" has anticlimactic [[dynamics (music)|dynamics]] with [[downtempo|downtempo dance]] and [[pop music|pop]] elements.<ref name="Gibb"/><ref name="Liedel"/> According to ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', it is the most dance-influenced song on ''Coexist''.<ref name="Dombal"/> |
|description = "Swept Away" has anticlimactic [[dynamics (music)|dynamics]] with [[downtempo|downtempo dance]] and [[pop music|pop]] elements.<ref name="Gibb"/><ref name="Liedel"/> According to ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', it is the most dance-influenced song on ''Coexist''.<ref name="Dombal"/> |
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"Missing" features a melancholic mood and experiments with echoing vocal effects.<ref name="Ryan"/><ref name="Mejia"/> The song's lyrics express inner turmoil and deal with themes of separation and isolation.<ref name="Elan"/><ref name="Cragg">{{cite journal|last=Cragg|first=Michael|date=7 September 2012|url=http://www.the-fly.co.uk/reviews/album/1015375/the-xx/|title=The xx|journal=[[The Fly (magazine)|The Fly]]|location=London| |
"Missing" features a melancholic mood and experiments with echoing vocal effects.<ref name="Ryan"/><ref name="Mejia"/> The song's lyrics express inner turmoil and deal with themes of separation and isolation.<ref name="Elan"/><ref name="Cragg">{{cite journal|last=Cragg|first=Michael|date=7 September 2012|url=http://www.the-fly.co.uk/reviews/album/1015375/the-xx/|title=The xx|journal=[[The Fly (magazine)|The Fly]]|location=London|access-date=7 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911070622/http://www.the-fly.co.uk/reviews/album/1015375/the-xx/|archive-date=11 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sim sings lead over Croft's echoed background wails, and vice versa, amid solemn keyboard flourishes.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> Sim originally wrote the song on the band's tour bus near the end of their tour, but underwent several changes before being one of the last songs recorded for the album.<ref name="Marchese"/> "Tides" opens solely with Croft and Sim's vocals,<ref name="Brown"/> and features fading musical elements, including [[Lock step (dance move)|lock-step]] percussion, minor strings, an isolated guitar line,<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> and a wavy bassline.<ref name="Phares"/> Croft and Sim trade lines expressing resignation as their respective partner "leav[es] with the tide",<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> comparing the ebb and flow of a relationship to that of tides.<ref name="Marchese"/> |
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The album's subsequent songs focus on separation, with lyrics written in past tense.<ref name="Calvert"/> "Unfold" comprises individual [[Musical note|note]]s and pauses,<ref name="Lee">{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Tim |url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/xx-2_0912.htm |title=The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[musicOMH]] | |
The album's subsequent songs focus on separation, with lyrics written in past tense.<ref name="Calvert"/> "Unfold" comprises individual [[Musical note|note]]s and pauses,<ref name="Lee">{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Tim |url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/xx-2_0912.htm |title=The xx – Coexist |publisher=[[musicOMH]] |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907231027/http://www.musicomh.com/albums/xx-2_0912.htm |archive-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> and incorporates tension in its [[off-beat (music)|off-beat]] composition,<ref name="Calvert"/> while its percussion increases in tempo before the accompanying instrumentation follows suit.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> It features [[deep house]] beats,<ref name="Woolley"/> resounding [[guitar harmonic]]s,<ref name="Pan"/> rhythmic [[Hi-hat (instrument)|hi-hat]],<ref name="Patel"/> and a dominant [[break (music)|breakbeat]].<ref name="Brown"/> Croft describes "Unfold" as a "gentle reverie" and "quite an emotional one."<ref name="Marchese"/> On "Swept Away", she and Sim express fragile declarations of love.<ref name="Lipshutz2"/> They originally wrote the song as a ballad before Smith reworked it with a [[Roland TR-909]] drum machine.<ref name="Marchese"/> "Our Song" features a rewinding guitar [[sampling (music)|sample]], looped [[audio feedback|feedback]],<ref name="Roberts"/> and pulsating percussion buildup.<ref name="Cragg"/> It is about the love shared in a friendship;<ref name="Marchese"/> Croft and Sim wrote it to address each other and the band itself: "We've never done that before; we're always addressing the songs outward. It's about the function of love and the love of friends. It's important."<ref name="Dombal"/> |
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== Title and packaging == |
== Title and packaging == |
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[[File:Oil bubbles.JPG|right|thumb|240px|The album's title was inspired by the colours visible in iridescent oil (pictured).]] |
[[File:Oil bubbles.JPG|right|thumb|240px|The album's title was inspired by the colours visible in iridescent oil (pictured).]] |
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The album's title was inspired by their idea for the cover artwork, which depicts an [[Iridescence|iridescent]] oil spill in the shape of an "X",<ref name="Woolley"/> a variation on the band's white-on-black "X" logo.<ref name="Dombal"/><ref>{{cite web|date=16 July 2012 |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09350-the-xx-listen-angels-coexist |title=LISTEN: The xx – 'Angels' |publisher=The Quietus | |
The album's title was inspired by their idea for the cover artwork, which depicts an [[Iridescence|iridescent]] oil spill in the shape of an "X",<ref name="Woolley"/> a variation on the band's white-on-black "X" logo.<ref name="Dombal"/><ref>{{cite web|date=16 July 2012 |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09350-the-xx-listen-angels-coexist |title=LISTEN: The xx – 'Angels' |publisher=The Quietus |access-date=23 September 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204152816/http://thequietus.com/articles/09350-the-xx-listen-angels-coexist |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> Croft compared the mixture of [[Multiphasic liquid|oil and water]] to her holistic view of the band, saying in an interview for [[Grantland]]: |
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{{cquote|You see a puddle of [[petrol]] on the floor – it can look sort of beautiful with the colors that come through it. I looked it up on Google or whatever, and it said oil and water don't mix, they peacefully coexist? And that's what it is when you see those colors. I liked that idea: those two things coming together to make something more beautiful than they are. And I liked the idea of us three coming together; only when the three of us are together, that's when it exists.<ref name="Barshad"/>}} |
{{cquote|You see a puddle of [[petrol]] on the floor – it can look sort of beautiful with the colors that come through it. I looked it up on Google or whatever, and it said oil and water don't mix, they peacefully coexist? And that's what it is when you see those colors. I liked that idea: those two things coming together to make something more beautiful than they are. And I liked the idea of us three coming together; only when the three of us are together, that's when it exists.<ref name="Barshad"/>}} |
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== Marketing and sales == |
== Marketing and sales == |
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''Coexist'' was released worldwide by [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]].<ref name="Holpuch"/> In May 2012, the xx played three intimate shows in London, where they previewed material from the album.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/63821 |title=The xx unveil new album tracks at intimate London comeback show |journal=NME |location=London |date=16 May 2012 | |
''Coexist'' was released worldwide by [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]].<ref name="Holpuch"/> In May 2012, the xx played three intimate shows in London, where they previewed material from the album.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/63821 |title=The xx unveil new album tracks at intimate London comeback show |journal=NME |location=London |date=16 May 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616160211/http://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/63821 |archive-date=16 June 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> They also performed on the Mini Stage of the [[San Miguel Primavera Sound]] festival in [[Barcelona]], Spain, on 31 May.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-cure/64128 |title=The Cure, The xx, Beach House play Primavera Sound festival 2012 |work=NME |publisher=IPC Media |date=3 June 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605235457/http://www.nme.com/news/the-cure/64128 |archive-date=5 June 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> On 17 July, "[[Angels (The xx song)|Angels]]" was released as the album's [[lead single]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hmvdigital.com/artist/the-xx/angels|title=Angels by The xx|publisher=[[HMV]]|access-date=23 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926035309/http://www.hmvdigital.com/artist/the-xx/angels|archive-date=26 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> It [[record chart|charted]] at number 46 in Australia and at number 38 in Belgium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+XX&titel=Angels&cat=s |title=The XX – Angels |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225130440/http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+XX&titel=Angels&cat=s |archive-date=25 December 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> The second single, "[[Chained (The xx song)|Chained]]", was released on 7 August.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/65381 |title=The xx debut new track 'Chained' – listen |work=NME |publisher=IPC Media |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821184040/http://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/65381 |archive-date=21 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> On 28 September, the xx performed the song, along with "Sunset", on ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pelly |first=Jean |date=28 September 2012 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/48017-watch-the-xx-perform-chained-and-sunset-on-later-with-jools-holland/ |title=Watch the xx Perform "Chained" and "Sunset" on "Later... With Jools Holland" |work=Pitchfork |access-date=30 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930205153/http://pitchfork.com/news/48017-watch-the-xx-perform-chained-and-sunset-on-later-with-jools-holland/ |archive-date=30 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> A remix of the song was released as a single to [[iTunes Store|iTunes]] on 11 March 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sunset-kim-ann-foxman-remix/id610424211|title=Sunset (Kim Ann Foxman Remix) – Single by The xx|date=11 March 2013 |publisher=[[iTunes Store]] US. [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]|access-date=18 June 2013|archive-date=30 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530073425/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sunset-kim-ann-foxman-remix/id610424211|url-status=live}}</ref> "Sunset" was later serviced to American [[modern rock]] radio on 28 January 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=16771#2013 | title=Modern Rock – Available for Airplay Archive | work=[[FMQB]] | access-date=21 June 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142732/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 | archive-date=22 March 2013}}</ref> |
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[[File:The xx - Ilosaarirock 2012.jpg|left|thumb|The xx performing at the [[Ilosaarirock|Ilosaarirock Festival]] in Finland in July 2012]] |
[[File:The xx - Ilosaarirock 2012.jpg|left|thumb|The xx performing at the [[Ilosaarirock|Ilosaarirock Festival]] in Finland in July 2012]] |
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To test if the xx could replicate their debut album's viral success, Young Turks' parent label [[XL Recordings]] approached technology companies and agreed to a deal with [[Microsoft]] to create a [[Software visualization|visualisation]] that could track [[file sharing|sharing]] of the album's [[streaming media|stream]].<ref name="Holpuch"/> The xx collaborated with designers from [[Internet Explorer]] and 9elements on the project.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilson|first=Mark|date=17 September 2012|url=http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670783/infographic-microsoft-charts-the-viral-spread-of-an-indie-album#2|title=Infographic: Microsoft Charts The Viral Spread Of An Indie Album|journal=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|location=New York| |
To test if the xx could replicate their debut album's viral success, Young Turks' parent label [[XL Recordings]] approached technology companies and agreed to a deal with [[Microsoft]] to create a [[Software visualization|visualisation]] that could track [[file sharing|sharing]] of the album's [[streaming media|stream]].<ref name="Holpuch"/> The xx collaborated with designers from [[Internet Explorer]] and 9elements on the project.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wilson|first=Mark|date=17 September 2012|url=http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670783/infographic-microsoft-charts-the-viral-spread-of-an-indie-album#2|title=Infographic: Microsoft Charts The Viral Spread Of An Indie Album|journal=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|location=New York|access-date=19 March 2013|archive-date=19 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119025429/http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670783/infographic-microsoft-charts-the-viral-spread-of-an-indie-album#2|url-status=live}}</ref> It was designed to show lines on a global map as ''Coexist'' is shared and was inspired by media artist [[Aaron Koblin]]'s visualisation of flight patterns in the US.<ref name="Holpuch"/> The album's stream was posted on a host site upon its release and shared with a fan in London through [[Facebook]].<ref name="Holpuch"/> The stream's host site [[Crash (computing)|crashed]] within 24 hours after the stream had been shared with millions of users.<ref name="Holpuch"/> It subsequently reached social news site [[Reddit]], where fans campaigned to share the album to every country possible.<ref name="Holpuch"/> Label executive Adam Farrell of [[Beggars Group]], Young Turks' distributor, cited it as "one of the most significant album premieres we've ever done".<ref name="Holpuch">{{cite web|last=Holpuch|first=Amanda|date=11 September 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/sep/11/the-xx-shared-coexist-release|title=How the xx shared their new album Coexist by releasing it to just one fan|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 September 2012|archive-date=8 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308213123/http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/sep/11/the-xx-shared-coexist-release|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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''Coexist'' debuted at number one on the [[Official Albums Chart]] with first-week sales of 58,266 copies in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Alan |date=17 September 2012 |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-the-xx-s-coexist-sells-58k/051803 |title=Official Charts Analysis: The XX's Coexist sells 58k |work=[[Music Week]] | |
''Coexist'' debuted at number one on the [[Official Albums Chart]] with first-week sales of 58,266 copies in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Alan |date=17 September 2012 |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-the-xx-s-coexist-sells-58k/051803 |title=Official Charts Analysis: The XX's Coexist sells 58k |work=[[Music Week]] |access-date=19 September 2012 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=15 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815024613/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-the-xx-s-coexist-sells-58k/051803 |url-status=live }}</ref> becoming the band's first number-one album on the chart.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kreisler |first=Lauren |date=16 September 2012 |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-xx-land-first-official-albums-chart-number-1-with-coexist-1592/ |title=The xx land first Official Albums Chart Number 1 with Coexist |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921021428/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-xx-land-first-official-albums-chart-number-1-with-coexist-1592/ |archive-date=21 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> The album fell to number four in its second week, selling 22,005 copies.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Alan |date=24 September 2012 |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-gangnam-style-sales-increase-445/051900 |title=Official Charts Analysis: Gangnam Style sales increase 445% |work=Music Week |access-date=29 September 2012 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=20 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220093101/https://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-gangnam-style-sales-increase-445/051900 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 14 September 2012, the album was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry]], denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies in the UK, and later in 2022, it was certified platinum.<ref name=BPI/> ''Coexist'' also debuted at number one on [[record chart]]s in Belgium,<ref name="ultratop"/> New Zealand,<ref name="nz"/> Portugal,<ref name="afp"/> and Switzerland.<ref name="swiss"/> In the United States, it debuted at number five on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] with 73,000 copies sold in its first week.<ref name="Caulfield">{{cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=19 September 2012 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/475029/dave-matthews-band-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200 |title=Dave Matthews Band Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 |magazine=Billboard |location=Los Angeles |access-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330234310/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/475029/dave-matthews-band-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200 |archive-date=30 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The album debuted at number two on the [[Canadian Albums Chart]], selling 10,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tuch|first=Paul|date=19 September 2012|title=Chart Confidential|journal=[[Nielsen Company|Nielsen Music 360° Report]]|location=Canada|page=1}}</ref> |
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In June 2012, the xx embarked on a 25-date, international summer tour. The tour lasted into September and featured performances at several music festivals, including [[San Miguel Primavera Sound|Primavera Sound]], [[Rock Werchter]], [[Sziget Festival]], [[A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise|Lowlands]], [[Bestival]], and [[Electric Picnic]].<ref name="Lipshutz"/> On 23 July, they debuted "Swept Away", "Sunset", and "Reunion" at the [[Music Box Theater (Los Angeles)|Music Box]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web |last=Daniels |first=Colin |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a396785/the-xx-play-new-song-swept-away-in-la-video.html |title=The xx play new song 'Swept Away' in LA – video |publisher=Digital Spy |date=1 August 2012 | |
In June 2012, the xx embarked on a 25-date, international summer tour. The tour lasted into September and featured performances at several music festivals, including [[San Miguel Primavera Sound|Primavera Sound]], [[Rock Werchter]], [[Sziget Festival]], [[A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise|Lowlands]], [[Bestival]], and [[Electric Picnic]].<ref name="Lipshutz"/> On 23 July, they debuted "Swept Away", "Sunset", and "Reunion" at the [[Music Box Theater (Los Angeles)|Music Box]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web |last=Daniels |first=Colin |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a396785/the-xx-play-new-song-swept-away-in-la-video.html |title=The xx play new song 'Swept Away' in LA – video |publisher=Digital Spy |date=1 August 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803074541/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a396785/the-xx-play-new-song-swept-away-in-la-video.html |archive-date=3 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Corner |first=Lewis |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a397665/the-xx-debut-two-new-tracks-reunion-sunset-video.html |title=The xx debut two new tracks 'Reunion', 'Sunset' – video |publisher=Digital Spy |date=6 August 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812061826/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a397665/the-xx-debut-two-new-tracks-reunion-sunset-video.html |archive-date=12 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Unlike the band's last tour, Smith added live percussion instruments to his repertoire.<ref name="Barshad"/> In December, the xx played a five-date tour in the United Kingdom—[[Brighton Dome]] on 6 December, [[O2 Academy Newcastle]] on 11 December, [[Wolverhampton Civic Hall]] on 12 December, [[Colston Hall]] on 14 December, and [[Brixton Academy]] on 16 December.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=21 September 2012 |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/news/the-xx-december-tour-tickets-on-sale |title=The xx December Tour – Tickets On Sale |journal=[[Clash (magazine)|Clash]] |location=London |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123012658/http://www.clashmusic.com/news/the-xx-december-tour-tickets-on-sale |archive-date=23 November 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
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In 2014, ''Coexist'' was awarded a platinum certification from the [[Independent Music Companies Association]],<ref>http://www.impalamusic.org/sites/default/files/pictures/Awards1.png</ref> indicating sales of at least 400,000 copies throughout Europe.<ref>http://www.impalamusic.org/node/340</ref> |
In 2014, ''Coexist'' was awarded a platinum certification from the [[Independent Music Companies Association]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.impalamusic.org/sites/default/files/pictures/Awards1.png |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-date=22 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522012936/http://impalamusic.org/sites/default/files/pictures/Awards1.png |url-status=live }}</ref> indicating sales of at least 400,000 copies throughout Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.impalamusic.org/node/340 |title=IMPALA Awards for European Independent Acts Hit Record Levels | Impala |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-date=27 August 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170827005610/http://www.impalamusic.org/node/340 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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== Critical reception == |
== Critical reception == |
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{{ |
{{Music ratings |
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| ADM = 7.8/10<ref name="ADM">{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/4836/The-xx-Coexist.aspx|title=Coexist by The xx reviews|publisher= |
| ADM = 7.8/10<ref name="ADM">{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/4836/The-xx-Coexist.aspx|title=Coexist by The xx reviews|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|access-date=2 November 2016|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114163933/http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/4836/The-xx-Coexist.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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| MC = 79/100<ref name="MC"/> |
| MC = 79/100<ref name="MC"/> |
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| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |
||
| |
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Phares"/> |
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| rev2 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' |
| rev2 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' |
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| |
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="McCormick"/> |
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| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]'' |
| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]'' |
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| |
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Hann"/> |
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| rev4 = ''[[The Independent]]'' |
| rev4 = ''[[The Independent]]'' |
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| |
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Gill"/> |
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| rev5 = ''[[MSN Music]]'' ([[Robert Christgau#Consumer Guide|Expert Witness]]) |
| rev5 = ''[[MSN Music]]'' ([[Robert Christgau#Consumer Guide|Expert Witness]]) |
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| |
| rev5score = A−<ref name="Christgau"/> |
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| rev6 = ''[[NME]]'' |
| rev6 = ''[[NME]]'' |
||
| |
| rev6score = 8/10<ref name="Elan"/> |
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| rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' |
| rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' |
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| |
| rev7score = 7.5/10<ref name="Richardson"/> |
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| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |
| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |
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| |
| rev8score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Rosen"/> |
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| rev9 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' |
| rev9 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' |
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| |
| rev9score = 8/10<ref name="Patel"/> |
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| rev10 = ''[[USA Today]]'' |
| rev10 = ''[[USA Today]]'' |
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| |
| rev10score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref name="Gundersen"/> |
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}} |
}} |
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''Coexist'' was met with generally positive reviews from critics. At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an [[weighted arithmetic mean|average]] score of 79, based on 46 reviews.<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/coexist/the-xx|title=Reviews for Coexist by The xx|publisher=[[Metacritic]]. [[CBS Interactive]]| |
''Coexist'' was met with generally positive reviews from critics. At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an [[weighted arithmetic mean|average]] score of 79, based on 46 reviews.<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/coexist/the-xx|title=Reviews for Coexist by The xx|publisher=[[Metacritic]]. [[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=7 September 2012|archive-date=10 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910022527/http://www.metacritic.com/music/coexist/the-xx|url-status=live}}</ref> Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.<ref name="ADM"/> |
||
Reviewing in October 2012 for ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', Garry Mulholland called the album a "masterpiece" of conceptually identical but "stronger, deeper, better" music when compared to the xx's debut.<ref name="Mulholland">{{cite journal |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/the-xx-coexist-review |title=The XX – Coexist |journal=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |location=London |last=Mulholland |first=Garry |date=October 2012 | |
Reviewing in October 2012 for ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', Garry Mulholland called the album a "masterpiece" of conceptually identical but "stronger, deeper, better" music when compared to the xx's debut.<ref name="Mulholland">{{cite journal |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/the-xx-coexist-review |title=The XX – Coexist |journal=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |location=London |last=Mulholland |first=Garry |date=October 2012 |access-date=27 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112001442/http://www.uncut.co.uk/the-xx-coexist-review |archive-date=12 November 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> In ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Jody Rosen]] hailed the band as "masters of restraint",<ref name="Rosen"/> while ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' critic [[Greg Kot]] felt that the album "functions as a near-perfect mood piece" and, "because there are so few elements in each song," each sound "makes a bigger impact."<ref name="Kot"/> Writing for ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', [[Neil McCormick]] praised Smith for "somehow widening and deepening the sound without intruding",<ref name="McCormick"/> and Puja Patel from ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' credited him for "both stretching and magnifying the gritty beauty of his vocalists".<ref name="Patel"/> In ''[[MSN Music]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] applauded the group's preoccupation with "young love" and stated, "these scrupulously abstract verses capture its obsessive doubts and fragile exaltations with delicacy and tenderness."<ref name="Christgau">{{cite web|last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=19 October 2012 |url=http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/expert-witness-blogpost.aspx?post=1aba8c90-5639-47d8-944e-f56164e4d128 |title=The xx/Kid Koala |work=[[MSN Music]] |access-date=19 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116201053/http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/expert-witness-blogpost.aspx?post=1aba8c90-5639-47d8-944e-f56164e4d128 |archive-date=16 November 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> Michael Alan Goldberg of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' called the album "gorgeous" and said that the music is like a "[[haiku]] instead of [[sonnet]]; [[Ernest Hemingway|Hemingway]] rather than [[F. Scott Fitzgerald|Fitzgerald]], with meaning and emotion lurking beneath the surface."<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Michael Alan |date=24 October 2012 |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-10-24/music/the-xx-inch-out-of-the-shadows/ |title=The xx Inch Out of the Shadows |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |access-date=11 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321140529/http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-10-24/music/the-xx-inch-out-of-the-shadows/ |archive-date=21 March 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> [[Simon Price]] found the group's take on the duet concept highly engaging and emotional while deeming ''Coexist'' a greater work than their debut album.<ref name="Price"/> |
||
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Andy Gill of ''[[The Independent]]'' believed that the band's songs had taken on "raging emotions" lacking on their debut and making ''Coexist'' a worthy but occasionally "uneasy listening".<ref name="Gill">{{cite news| |
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Andy Gill of ''[[The Independent]]'' believed that the band's songs had taken on "raging emotions" lacking on their debut and making ''Coexist'' a worthy but occasionally "uneasy listening".<ref name="Gill">{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208005726/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-xx-coexist-xl-8113694.html|archive-date=8 December 2012|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-xx-coexist-xl-8113694.html|title=Album: The xx, Coexist (XL)|work=[[The Independent]]|location=London|last=Gill|first=Andy|date=8 September 2012|access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic Jon Caramanica said the record suffers from a difficult second half on what is otherwise "as insular and micro as ambitious pop music can be ... a wonderful experiment in the power of absence."<ref name="Caramanica">{{cite news |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |date=9 September 2012 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/arts/music/the-xxs-album-coexist.html?pagewanted=all |title=Lowercase Minimalists |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=AR65 |access-date=7 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909001614/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/arts/music/the-xxs-album-coexist.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=9 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Arnold Pan from ''[[PopMatters]]'' was more critical, calling it monotonous and "an exercise in delayed gratification",<ref name="Pan">{{cite web |last=Pan |first=Arnold |date=11 September 2012 |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/162987-the-xx-coexist/ |title=The xx: Coexist |work=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913124253/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/162987-the-xx-coexist/ |archive-date=13 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> while Randall Roberts of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' panned the lyrics as "one-dimensional planes floating through the group's oft-glorious 3-D spaces".<ref name="Roberts">{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Randall |date=15 September 2012 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-the-xx-album-review-20120916,0,566779.story |title=Album review: Sonic intimacies on the xx's 'Coexist' |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=15 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916113926/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-the-xx-album-review-20120916,0,566779.story |archive-date=16 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
Several critics and publications ranked ''Coexist'' as one of 2012's best albums in their year-end, top-ten lists, including [[Kitty Empire]] of ''[[The Observer]]'', ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'', ''[[Les Inrockuptibles]]'', ''[[State (magazine)|State]]'' magazine, and ''[[The Guardian]]'', whose staff voted it eighth.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dietz|first=Jason|date=4 December 2012|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2012|title=2012 Music Critic Top Ten Lists|publisher=Metacritic| |
Several critics and publications ranked ''Coexist'' as one of 2012's best albums in their year-end, top-ten lists, including [[Kitty Empire]] of ''[[The Observer]]'', ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'', ''[[Les Inrockuptibles]]'', ''[[State (magazine)|State]]'' magazine, and ''[[The Guardian]]'', whose staff voted it eighth.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dietz|first=Jason|date=4 December 2012|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2012|title=2012 Music Critic Top Ten Lists|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=15 September 2014|archive-date=12 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112205543/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2012|url-status=live}}</ref> It was named the 14th best album of the year by both ''[[NME]]'' magazine and Christgau in his list for ''[[The Barnes & Noble Review]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=27 November 2012|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1208412/nmes-50-best-albums-of-2012/list/|title=NME's 50 Best Albums of 2012|newspaper=[[Stereogum]]|access-date=15 September 2014|archive-date=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109052142/http://www.stereogum.com/1208412/nmes-50-best-albums-of-2012/list/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=14 January 2013|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans12.php|title=2012: Dean's List|work=[[The Barnes & Noble Review]]|access-date=15 September 2014|archive-date=11 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911234138/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans12.php|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the magazine ''[[XLR8R]]'' ranked the album number seven on their list of the most overrated releases of the year, feeling that the trio's dark and minimal sound on the record was not as exciting as on their debut LP.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8r-s-best-of-2012-overrated-releases/|title=XLR8R's Best of 2012: Overrated Releases|work=[[XLR8R]]|date=14 December 2012|access-date=27 February 2016|archive-date=4 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404042340/https://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8r-s-best-of-2012-overrated-releases/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
== Track listing == |
== Track listing == |
||
{{Track listing |
{{Track listing |
||
| all_lyrics = Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, except where noted |
| all_lyrics = [[Oliver Sim]] and [[Romy Madley Croft]], except where noted |
||
| all_music = [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]], Sim and Croft |
| all_music = [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]], Sim and Croft |
||
| total_length = 37:11 |
| total_length = 37:11 |
||
Line 213: | Line 211: | ||
'''The xx''' |
'''The xx''' |
||
* Romy Madley Croft – art direction, guitar, keyboards {{small|(on "Chained")}}, vocals |
* [[Romy Madley Croft]] – art direction, guitar, keyboards {{small|(on "Chained")}}, vocals |
||
* Oliver Sim – bass, synthesiser {{small|(on "Fiction")}}, vocals |
* [[Oliver Sim]] – bass, synthesiser {{small|(on "Fiction")}}, vocals |
||
* [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] – beats, engineering, mixing, [[Music Production Center|MPC]], organ {{small|(on "Try" and "Reunion)}}, piano {{small|(on "Fiction" and "Swept Away")}}, production, steel pans {{small|(on "Reunion")}} |
* [[Jamie xx|Jamie Smith]] – beats, engineering, mixing, [[Music Production Center|MPC]], organ {{small|(on "Try" and "Reunion)}}, piano {{small|(on "Fiction" and "Swept Away")}}, production, steel pans {{small|(on "Reunion")}} |
||
* The xx – design |
* The xx – design |
||
Line 224: | Line 222: | ||
* Phil Lee – art direction, design |
* Phil Lee – art direction, design |
||
* [[Rodaidh McDonald]] – mixing |
* [[Rodaidh McDonald]] – mixing |
||
* Mandy Parnell – mastering |
* [[Mandy Parnell]] – mastering |
||
* Ivo Stankov – strings {{small|(on "Tides")}} |
* Ivo Stankov – strings {{small|(on "Tides")}} |
||
* James Underwood – strings {{small|(on "Tides")}} |
* James Underwood – strings {{small|(on "Tides")}} |
||
==Charts== |
==Charts== |
||
{{col- |
{{col-begin}} |
||
{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
||
Line 235: | Line 233: | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="col"| Chart ( |
! scope="col"| Chart (2012–2014) |
||
! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Australia|2|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Australia|2|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Austria|3|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Austria|3|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Flanders|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Flanders|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=14 September 2012|refname="ultratop"}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Wallonia|3|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Wallonia|3|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=14 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|BillboardCanada|2|artist=The xx|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|BillboardCanada|2|artist=The xx|rowheader=true|access-date=8 April 2013}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Chinese Albums ([[Sino Chart]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sino-chart.com/chart/201405/41905.html |script-title=zh:综合榜 2014年 第18周 |trans-title=Comprehensive Chart – Year 2014 Week 18 |language=Chinese |publisher=[[Sino Chart]] | |
! scope="row"| Chinese Albums ([[Sino Chart]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sino-chart.com/chart/201405/41905.html |script-title=zh:综合榜 2014年 第18周 |trans-title=Comprehensive Chart – Year 2014 Week 18 |language=Chinese |publisher=[[Sino Chart]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233546/http://www.sino-chart.com/chart/201405/41905.html |archive-date=25 May 2014 |access-date=6 May 2014}}</ref> |
||
| 13 |
| 13 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Denmark|5|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Denmark|5|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Netherlands|4|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Netherlands|4|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017|refname="dutch"}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Dutch Alternative Albums ([[MegaCharts]])<ref name="dutch"/> |
! scope="row"| Dutch Alternative Albums ([[MegaCharts]])<ref name="dutch"/> |
||
| 2 |
| 2 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Finland|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Finland|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|France|2|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|France|2|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Germany4|3|id=203275|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Germany4|3|id=203275|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Ireland|3|year=2012|week=37|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Ireland|3|year=2012|week=37|rowheader=true|access-date=14 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|IrelandIndependent|1|year=2012|week=37|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|IrelandIndependent|1|year=2012|week=37|rowheader=true|access-date=8 January 2013}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Italy|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Italy|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Japanese Albums ([[Oricon Albums Chart|Oricon]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/494410/products/961026/1/ |script-title=ja:コエグジスト {{!}} ザ・エックス・エックス |trans-title=Coexist {{!}} The xx |language=Japanese |publisher=Oricon | |
! scope="row"| Japanese Albums ([[Oricon Albums Chart|Oricon]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/494410/products/961026/1/ |script-title=ja:コエグジスト {{!}} ザ・エックス・エックス |trans-title=Coexist {{!}} The xx |language=Japanese |publisher=Oricon |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=23 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123211437/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/494410/products/961026/1/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| 53 |
| 53 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Mexican Albums ([[Top 100 Mexico]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centrodedesarrollodigital.com/amprofon3/Top100.pdf |title=Top 100 México – Semana Del 10 al 16 de Septiembre del 2012 |language=Spanish |publisher=[[Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas]] | |
! scope="row"| Mexican Albums ([[Top 100 Mexico]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centrodedesarrollodigital.com/amprofon3/Top100.pdf |title=Top 100 México – Semana Del 10 al 16 de Septiembre del 2012 |language=Spanish |publisher=[[Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002231450/http://www.centrodedesarrollodigital.com/amprofon3/Top100.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=1 October 2012}}</ref> |
||
| 52 |
| 52 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017|refname="nz"}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Norway|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Norway|6|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Poland|14|id=765|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Poland|14|id=765|rowheader=true|access-date=21 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Portugal|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Portugal|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017|refname="afp"}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Scotland|3|date= |
{{album chart|Scotland|3|date=20120922|rowheader=true|access-date=16 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Spain|5|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Spain|5|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Sweden|4|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Sweden|4|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Switzerland|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Switzerland|1|artist=The xx|album=Coexist|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017|refname="swiss"}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|UK2|1|date= |
{{album chart|UK2|1|date=20120922|rowheader=true|access-date=16 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|UKIndependent|1|date= |
{{album chart|UKIndependent|1|date=20120922|rowheader=true|access-date=16 September 2012}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=The xx|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=The xx|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2017}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|BillboardIndependent|1|artist=The xx|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|BillboardIndependent|1|artist=The xx|rowheader=true|access-date=8 April 2013}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|BillboardAlternative|1|artist=The xx|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|BillboardAlternative|1|artist=The xx|rowheader=true|access-date=8 April 2013}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
{{album chart|BillboardRock|4|artist=The xx|rowheader=true| |
{{album chart|BillboardRock|4|artist=The xx|rowheader=true|access-date=8 April 2013}} |
||
|} |
|} |
||
{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
||
Line 312: | Line 310: | ||
! scope="col"| Position |
! scope="col"| Position |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2012.htm |title=ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2012 |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] | |
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2012.htm |title=ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2012 |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] |access-date=9 January 2013 |archive-date=7 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307023544/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2012.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| 84 |
| 84 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten 2012 – Albums |language=Dutch |publisher=Ultratop. Hung Medien | |
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten 2012 – Albums |language=Dutch |publisher=Ultratop. Hung Medien |access-date=28 December 2012 |archive-date=19 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819131159/http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| 11 |
| 11 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Rapports Annuels 2012 – Albums |language=French |publisher=Ultratop. Hung Medien | |
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Rapports Annuels 2012 – Albums |language=French |publisher=Ultratop. Hung Medien |access-date=27 December 2012 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921062025/http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2012&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| 75 |
| 75 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hitlisterne.dk/yearlist2012.asp?list=Album%20100 |title=Album Top-100 – År 2012 |language=Danish |publisher=Hitlisten.NU | |
! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hitlisterne.dk/yearlist2012.asp?list=Album%20100 |title=Album Top-100 – År 2012 |language=Danish |publisher=Hitlisten.NU |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914212631/http://www.hitlisterne.dk/yearlist2012.asp?list=Album%20100 |archive-date=14 September 2013 |access-date=8 April 2013}}</ref> |
||
| 82 |
| 82 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 2012 |language=Dutch |publisher=dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien | |
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2012&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 2012 |language=Dutch |publisher=dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien |access-date=27 December 2012 |archive-date=26 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726083610/http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2012&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
| 94 |
| 94 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snepmusique.com/fr/pag-259376-Classements-Annuels.html?year=2012&type=2 |title=Classement Albums – année 2012 |language=French |publisher=[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]] | |
! scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snepmusique.com/fr/pag-259376-Classements-Annuels.html?year=2012&type=2 |title=Classement Albums – année 2012 |language=French |publisher=[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014064915/http://www.snepmusique.com/fr/pag-259376-Classements-Annuels.html?year=2012 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |access-date=8 April 2013}}</ref> |
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| 92 |
| 92 |
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|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2012 |title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 2012 |language=German |publisher=Offizielle Deutsche Charts. GfK Entertainment | |
! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2012 |title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 2012 |language=German |publisher=Offizielle Deutsche Charts. GfK Entertainment |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=9 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409021631/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2012/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 80 |
| 80 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2012 |title=Swiss Year-End Charts 2012 |publisher=swisscharts.com. Hung Medien | |
! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2012 |title=Swiss Year-End Charts 2012 |publisher=swisscharts.com. Hung Medien |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=3 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403150334/http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 59 |
| 59 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20120108/37502/ |title=End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2012 |publisher=Official Charts Company | |
! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20120108/37502/ |title=End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2012 |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=11 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311030132/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20120108/37502/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 59 |
| 59 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite |
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2012 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=4 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104020444/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-billboard-200-albums |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 187 |
| 187 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| US Independent Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite |
! scope="row"| US Independent Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-independent-albums |title=Independent Albums – Year-End 2012 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=12 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412075044/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-independent-albums |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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| 19 |
| 19 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| US Top Alternative Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite |
! scope="row"| US Top Alternative Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-alternative-albums |title=Alternative Albums – Year-End 2012 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=29 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629092155/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-alternative-albums |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 31 |
| 31 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite |
! scope="row"| US Top Rock Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-rock-albums |title=Rock Albums – Year-End 2012 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201154905/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-rock-albums |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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! scope="col"| Position |
! scope="col"| Position |
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! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2013&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten 2013 – Albums |language=Dutch |publisher=Ultratop | |
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2013&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten 2013 – Albums |language=Dutch |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=29 December 2013 |archive-date=17 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417130753/http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2013&cat=a |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 82 |
| 82 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusEOY2013.pdf |title=Official Albums Chart |
! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusEOY2013.pdf |title=Official Albums Chart |work=[[UKChartsPlus]] |year=2013 |page=8 |access-date=10 July 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714160149/http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusEOY2013.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| 133 |
| 133 |
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|- |
|- |
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! scope="row"| US Independent Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite |
! scope="row"| US Independent Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2013/top-independent-albums |title=Independent Albums – Year-End 2013 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219130954/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2013/top-independent-albums |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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==Certifications== |
==Certifications== |
||
{{Certification Table Top}} |
{{Certification Table Top}} |
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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2012|date=14 December 2012| |
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2012|date=14 December 2012|access-date=26 May 2014}} |
||
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|date=7 May 2014| |
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2014|date=7 May 2014|access-date=26 May 2014}} |
||
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2024|id=13966|date=4 June 2024|access-date=1 July 2024}} |
|||
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2015}} |
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=The xx|title=Coexist|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2012|certyear=2015}} |
||
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist= |
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=XX|title=Coexist|award=Platinum|type=album|certyear=2022|access-date=22 October 2022|salesamount=266,239|salesref=<ref>{{cite web |last=Homewood |first=Ben |url=http://www.musicweek.com/talent/read/the-xx-debut-at-no-1-with-new-album-i-see-you/067214 |title=The xx debut at No.1 with new album I See You |work=Music Week |date=20 January 2017 |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=23 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123105854/http://www.musicweek.com/talent/read/the-xx-debut-at-no-1-with-new-album-i-see-you/067214 |url-status=live }}</ref>|id=8871-2317-2|refname=BPI}} |
||
{{Certification Table Bottom}} |
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}} |
||
==Release history== |
==Release history== |
||
Line 383: | Line 382: | ||
! scope="col"| Label |
! scope="col"| Label |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Japan<ref name="hmvjp">{{cite web |url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_The-xx_000000000312546/item_Coexist_4979194 |title=The xx: Coexist |publisher=[[HMV Japan]] | |
! scope="row"| Japan<ref name="hmvjp">{{cite web |url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_The-xx_000000000312546/item_Coexist_4979194 |title=The xx: Coexist |publisher=[[HMV Japan]] |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121203326/http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_The-xx_000000000312546/item_Coexist_4979194 |archive-date=21 January 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
| 5 September 2012 |
| 5 September 2012 |
||
| [[Hostess Entertainment|Hostess]] |
| [[Hostess Entertainment|Hostess]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Australia<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/dance/coexist/669928 |title=Coexist – Xx, The |publisher=[[JB Hi-Fi]] | |
! scope="row"| Australia<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/dance/coexist/669928 |title=Coexist – Xx, The |publisher=[[JB Hi-Fi]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614132136/http://jbhifionline.com.au/music/dance/coexist/669928 |archive-date=14 June 2013 |access-date=23 August 2012}}</ref> |
||
| rowspan="3"| 7 September 2012 |
| rowspan="3"| 7 September 2012 |
||
| rowspan="2"| [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] |
| rowspan="2"| [[Young Turks (record label)|Young Turks]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Ireland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.towerrecords.ie/product/Xx_Coexist/553703 |title=Xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Tower Records|Tower Records Ireland]] | |
! scope="row"| Ireland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.towerrecords.ie/product/Xx_Coexist/553703 |title=Xx – Coexist |publisher=[[Tower Records|Tower Records Ireland]] |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224135948/http://www.towerrecords.ie/product/Xx_Coexist/553703 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Germany<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indigo.de/unser_programm/titel/96886/ |title=xx, The: Coexist |language=German |publisher=Indigo | |
! scope="row"| Germany<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indigo.de/unser_programm/titel/96886/ |title=xx, The: Coexist |language=German |publisher=Indigo |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119230512/http://www.indigo.de/unser_programm/titel/96886/ |archive-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
| {{hlist|Young Turks|[[XL Recordings|XL]]}} |
| {{hlist|Young Turks|[[XL Recordings|XL]]}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| France<ref>{{cite web |url=http://musique.fnac.com/a4415391/The-XX-Coexist-CD-album |title=Coexist – The XX |language=French |publisher=[[Fnac]] | |
! scope="row"| France<ref>{{cite web |url=http://musique.fnac.com/a4415391/The-XX-Coexist-CD-album |title=Coexist – The XX |language=French |publisher=[[Fnac]] |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902225757/http://musique.fnac.com/a4415391/The-XX-Coexist-CD-album |archive-date=2 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
| rowspan="3"| 10 September 2012 |
| rowspan="3"| 10 September 2012 |
||
| rowspan="2"| XL |
| rowspan="2"| XL |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Poland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empik.com/coexist-the-xx,p1052253594,muzyka-p |title=Coexist – The XX |language=Polish |publisher=[[Empik]] | |
! scope="row"| Poland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empik.com/coexist-the-xx,p1052253594,muzyka-p |title=Coexist – The XX |language=Polish |publisher=[[Empik]] |access-date=24 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217135648/http://www.empik.com/coexist-the-xx,p1052253594,muzyka-p |archive-date=17 February 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| United Kingdom<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=853655 |title=Xx: Coexist |publisher=HMV | |
! scope="row"| United Kingdom<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=853655 |title=Xx: Coexist |publisher=HMV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014225201/http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=853655 |archive-date=14 October 2012 |access-date=23 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
||
| rowspan="2"| Young Turks |
| rowspan="2"| Young Turks |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| United States<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B11R1Q |title=Coexist: The XX | |
! scope="row"| United States<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B11R1Q |title=Coexist: The XX |website=Amazon |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324033105/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B11R1Q |archive-date=24 March 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
| rowspan="2"| 11 September 2012 |
| rowspan="2"| 11 September 2012 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row"| Italy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibs.it/disco/0634904608026/xx/coexist.html |title=XX – Coexist |language=Italian |publisher=Internet Bookshop Italia | |
! scope="row"| Italy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibs.it/disco/0634904608026/xx/coexist.html |title=XX – Coexist |language=Italian |publisher=Internet Bookshop Italia |access-date=4 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224145350/http://www.ibs.it/disco/0634904608026/xx/coexist.html |archive-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref> |
||
| XL |
| XL |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 429: | Line 428: | ||
{{xx}} |
{{xx}} |
||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
[[Category:2012 albums]] |
[[Category:2012 albums]] |
||
[[Category:Albums produced by Jamie xx]] |
[[Category:Albums produced by Jamie xx]] |
||
[[Category:The xx albums]] |
[[Category:The xx albums]] |
||
[[Category:Young |
[[Category:Young (record label) albums]] |
Latest revision as of 16:10, 3 December 2024
Coexist | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 September 2012 | |||
Recorded | November 2011 – May 2012 | |||
Studio | The xx's studio (London)[a] | |||
Genre | Indie pop | |||
Length | 37:11 | |||
Label | Young Turks | |||
Producer | Jamie Smith | |||
The xx chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Coexist | ||||
Coexist is the second studio album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released 5 September 2012 by the Young Turks record label.
After a break from touring for their 2009 self-titled first album, the xx's band members began to write songs individually before they recorded Coexist from November 2011 to May 2012. For the album, the group drew on personal experiences for their songwriting, while their music was influenced by the electronic dance scene that occurred when they had been away on tour. It was produced by the band's Jamie Smith, who had pursued electronic dance on other projects and developed as a DJ prior to the album.
Coexist features a minimalist musical style with spatial arrangements, loose song structure, minimal variation in dynamics, and experimentation with tension. Its songs are characterised by sparse elements such as simple chord progression, keyboard ostinatos, and fading motifs, while Smith's production incorporates both programmed beats and live percussion instruments. The lyrics, written by guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim, feature inner monologue and simple metaphors to explore a failing relationship and the emotional dynamics of a romance.
The album debuted at number one on the United Kingdom's Official Albums Chart while selling 58,266 copies. It also charted in the top 10 in several other countries and was eventually certified platinum by the Independent Music Companies Association, having sold at least 400,000 copies in Europe. To promote the album, four songs were released as singles, including "Angels" and "Chained", while the xx toured during June to December 2012 throughout Europe and North America. Critically, Coexist was also a success, with several music publications ranking it as one of the year's top-ten albums.
Background
[edit]In 2009, the xx released their self-titled debut album to critical acclaim.[2] It was certified platinum in the United Kingdom and also sold 350,000 copies in the United States.[3][4] It showcased their characteristically moody,[5] R&B and post-dubstep-influenced indie pop style and lyrical themes of loneliness, lust, and love.[3][6] After the departure of group member Baria Qureshi, the xx exclusively played live concerts throughout 2010, including several high-profile summer music festivals,[5] and garnered a growing fanbase.[2] The band's popularity grew further when their songs featured in television shows and commercials, and they were also covered and sampled by well-known recording artists.[3] In 2010, their debut album won the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best record from the UK and Ireland.[5]
Following an exhausting tour, the xx went on a break.[2] The band's producer and percussionist Jamie Smith pursued electronic dance styles on other musical projects,[7] creating remixes for Radiohead, Adele,[8] and Florence and the Machine. He also collaborated on Gil Scott-Heron's 2011 album We're New Here, and produced Drake's 2012 song "Take Care".[5][9] The latter exemplified and helped popularise the xx's sound as well.[10] A novice to DJing when starting out with the xx, he subsequently learned its technical aspects and developed a grasp on controlling the crowd through unexpected silences and drops during his live sets.[11]
Writing and recording
[edit]In 2011, the xx opened their own recording studio in London and began writing songs for Coexist during the summer.[4][12] Each member—guitarist Romy Madley Croft, bassist Oliver Sim, and Smith—wrote music individually and recorded snippets using GarageBand or their phones.[13] Both Croft and Sim drew on personal experiences and wrote more direct lyrics than on the band's debut to express complex emotions.[11] Sim said of his songwriting for Coexist, "I found myself being a lot less 'moons and stars' and being a lot more literal."[11] Croft felt more expectations from listeners than when the band debuted and consequently turned to more personal songwriting for Coexist:
I was sitting at home knowing people were going to hear us and what they were going to say. But late at night when I was writing things down, I eventually got back to writing about myself. And that's good. Because we've got to sing these songs for a while, so it's really important to feel close to them, to feel like they're real.[11]
They wrote, recorded, and emailed music back and forth to each other before working together in a rehearsal space in East London.[13] When he first read them, Smith found Croft and Sim's lyrics to be "purposely ambiguous so people can relate to them", saying in an interview for Uncut, "I mean... if I listen carefully, I do know about their lives intimately so I can guess what they're about. But they don't even tell each other what they're singing about."[6]
The xx started recording Coexist in November 2011,[14] and used a photography studio in North London to record the songs they had put together.[13] They later used the rehearsal space in East London to practice playing the songs live.[13] They recorded for six months in London and intended to finish before their scheduled music festival appearances for 2012.[15] The xx's direction for the album was partly inspired by the electronic dance scene that occurred while they toured for their first album,[15] as well as the live DJ sets of Smith,[11] who was mostly listening to dark Chicago house music at the time.[13] According to him, "We left [to tour] when we were 17 and we missed out on that chunk of our lives when everyone else was partying."[15] However, he insisted that "we're not looking to make people dance."[16] They were also influenced by pop-reggae band UB40, folk act White Hinterland, and neo soul artist Van Hunt, all of whom they listened to while recording Coexist.[13] Croft viewed the music as a continuation of their debut, "developed, but [not] like completely a world away".[13]
Rather than expand on their debut's sound, the xx wanted to minimise the songs they recorded for Coexist and mute certain elements during its production.[11] Croft felt that this would help make the music more playable live instead of having to reproduce multiple vocal or guitar elements that were tracked onto a song.[11] Smith, who produced and mixed Coexist,[3] wanted to keep his production simple and create an emotive, electronic sound. He used Logic Pro recording software, a Space Echo effects unit, preamplifiers, and Casiotones on occasion,[15][17] as well as both synthesised steelpan sounds and live percussion instruments.[9] To engineer the album, he put together a mixing desk from pieces of other desks and left doors open during the recording to let sounds from outside the studio bleed into the mix.[12] The xx finished recording Coexist in May 2012.[14]
Musical style
[edit]The songs on Coexist, which Edna Gundersen of USA Today categorised as indie pop,[18] eschew melodic structure for minimalist dynamics and sparse sounds.[19][20] John Calvert of Fact asserts that it is "a far more meditative album" for deviating from its predecessor's "tight, brisk pop songs", "nuanced [guitar] interplay", and "light dynamics".[21] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times comments that songs "unfold ... beginning as pointillist sketches and ending up as huge, blurry color blocks."[16] Reflecting the band's electronic dance influences, Coexist features atmospheric, dance-orientated song structures,[22] deemphasises traditional verse-chorus form,[7] and incorporates influences from dubstep and rave music.[9] Drowned in Sound's Hayden Woolley writes that the music features "watercolour textures and rhythms that seem to lock-in to the ebbing pulse and cadences of the body."[23] Rory Gibb of The Quietus believes that Coexist is neither a "pop" nor "downtempo dance record", but occupies "a hazy space between the two" and is an attempt at "post-Burial pop".[7] Simon Price of The Independent asserts that "rather than clubland, Coexist owes a debt to comedown/chillout culture".[20]
The songs are characterised by droning harmonies,[24] simple chord progression, keyboard ostinatos,[25] ringing guitar,[9] resounding reverb,[19] slight bass grooves, and programmed beats.[8] Sim plays counterpoint melodies on his bass,[26] while Croft plays angular figures,[27] sketchy musical patterns,[28] and melodies developed from two-note intervals; Price likens Croft's use of the guitar to playing a harp.[20] Smith's production is largely responsible for the music's lowest frequency sounds and incorporates both four on the floor and 2-step beats,[7][16] subtle BPM changes,[8] heartbeat-like drum machine rhythms,[29] strings, and live percussion such as timpani, snare drums, and steelpans.[21] The latter instrument is played in arpeggio and exhibits Jamaican music influences.[9] Critic Will Hermes views Smith as a more prominent contributor on Coexist than on the debut album and comments that "the beats and musical backdrops are more varied and command more attention."[30]
The songs are also spatially arranged and experiment with tension,[26][31] including listeners' expectations for a hook to unfold,[32] a dance beat to develop, and a time signature to change.[11][33] Elements such as drum beats,[26] vocals, and guitar motifs fade to silence throughout the songs.[7][23] Kitty Empire of The Observer comments that "no pattern here hangs around for more than a couple of bars, and rarely in multiples of four."[9] Stephen Thompson of NPR comments on the music's lack of dynamism, writing that the band "lets its songs billow out softly and quietly, with only achingly pretty guitar lines to lessen the tension."[34] Michael Hann of The Guardian writes that the album refines the band's "already skeletal frame" and that most of its songs are "defined as much by space as by sound", adding that the music's "gaps bring greater emphasis" to guitar, piano, and vocal elements.[27] Melissa Locker of Time comments that "each sound, be it instrument or voice, is given ample room to exist and to soar."[3]
Lyrics and themes
[edit]Croft and Sim echo each other across the album, never quite duetting, more like two people singing their own versions of the same story ... both aching with regret.
Coexist deals with themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and intimacy.[10][27] Croft and Sim share lead vocals,[19] which occasionally overlap in call and response interplay and slow crescendos.[3] Sim, who cites Sade as an influence, has more assured vocals, while Croft sings in a shyer style and exhibits catches in her voice.[16][23] The lyrics focus on a failing relationship and changes in a romance.[9][25][31] Will Ryan of Beats Per Minute writes that they follow "the back-and-forth complexities of a fractured relationship that ... explores a wilderness of residual feelings left over after said relationship has collapsed."[22] Garry Mulholland of Uncut interprets the album to be "the story of a relationship broken by the protagonists' tendency to love too much while being unable to express their need to each other."[6] Eric Sundermann of The A.V. Club views that the album's songs "all focus on different stages of romantic love, from infatuation to frustration to all the other stuff that falls in between."[24] Kevin Liedel of Slant Magazine felt that the songs follow-up on the "lovebirds" from the xx's debut album, "now separated and devastated ... mus[ing] on what went wrong".[19] Puja Patel of Spin remarks that the band's "fantastical, elemental star-crossed-lover talk has been replaced by evocations of a harder, more aggressively worked-at love".[35] Most of the songs have single-word titles that evoke long sentiments.[16]
The xx's lyrics on Coexist feature broader diction than on the xx's first record and employ simple metaphors of light and darkness, and distance and time.[28][36] They often express emotional stress,[9] yearning,[28] and passive-aggressive attitudes.[37] Some songs feature a lyrical conceit of an emotionally elusive lover as an apparition or an illusion.[21] Croft and Sim avoid traditional duet lyrics about declarations of love, instead employing inner monologues to depict the same situation from two different perspectives.[20] Eric Sundermann asserts that, rather than "simply" being "declarations", the songs serve as "the thought process of how to deal with interpersonal struggles."[24] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph perceives "intimate conversations between forlorn lovers" and an "almost sacred eroticism in Croft and Sim's whispery vocals."[8] Drowned in Sound's Hayden Woolley views that the album shares its predecessor's "fragility", "quiet gravitas", and "heavy words", but is "an intensely wind-torn and wounded album that cuts even deeper than its predecessor."[23] Music journalist Luke Turner calls its subject matter more "turbulent, sensual and fun" than on the group's first album and states, "of course not necessarily a sexual or romantic one, the feel of this second record is far more earthy, sticky, complicated, like the tension of the second or third encounters after a one night stand."[38]
Songs
[edit]"Angels" opens Coexist with a restrained style and soft-spoken verses about the idea of being in love.[24][37] Croft's lyrics compare the premature end of a relationship to "dreaming of angels, and leaving without them",[4] and touch on the private knowledge that is acquired through intimacy.[27][35] "Chained" experiments with musical buildup and subtle flourishes,[22] and muffled 2-step beats.[7] Its lyrics lament a couple's distance from each other.[32] On "Fiction", Sim's emotive lyrics recount romantic illusions such as "last night the world was beneath us",[10] but eventually lead to a catharsis.[32] "Try" has oscillating guitar lines,[32] sluggish snare drums, and looped synthesizers.[40] Smith experimented with unconventional electronic elements when producing the song.[39] John Calvert of Fact asserts that it is a stark "conflation of urban and indie music", noting its "portomento [sic] synths and rumble-bass (think 'Drop It Like It's Hot') passing under tremolo guitar."[21] On "Try", the narrators attempt to evoke feelings of hope and functionality to each other.[32]
"Reunion" is a noirish ballad that features reactive emotions by the narrators.[33][39] Smith approached its recording as he would remixing a song, working with a demo of bass, guitar, and vocal parts at his own studio and incorporating house and techno elements.[39] Midway, "Reunion" develops a refrain of "did I ... see you ... see me ... in a new light?", and pulsating steel drums lead to a somber, rhythmic dance section.[32] Its pulsating beat transitions into "Sunset",[32][40] a song about the pain shared by estranged ex-lovers.[32] The song's muted beat adds tension to the narrative, which Calvert interprets to be "the couple's final farewell – the beat serves to denote the passing of time."[21] "Sunset" also has a subtle UK garage beat,[20] funky house elements,[33] and was inspired by the music from Smith's DJing gigs; Croft cited it as "an example of the idea of a kind of song we're all really into, which is heartbreaking dance music".[39] Consequence of Sound's Harley Brown views that "Reunion" and "Sunset" make up a congruous mix at "the heart of the album", as Smith "indie-streams these house varieties ... slowing down and alienating beats from their context so they're even more universal, unobscured by their dance floor origins."[40]
"Missing" features a melancholic mood and experiments with echoing vocal effects.[22][31] The song's lyrics express inner turmoil and deal with themes of separation and isolation.[33][41] Sim sings lead over Croft's echoed background wails, and vice versa, amid solemn keyboard flourishes.[32] Sim originally wrote the song on the band's tour bus near the end of their tour, but underwent several changes before being one of the last songs recorded for the album.[39] "Tides" opens solely with Croft and Sim's vocals,[40] and features fading musical elements, including lock-step percussion, minor strings, an isolated guitar line,[32] and a wavy bassline.[10] Croft and Sim trade lines expressing resignation as their respective partner "leav[es] with the tide",[32] comparing the ebb and flow of a relationship to that of tides.[39]
The album's subsequent songs focus on separation, with lyrics written in past tense.[21] "Unfold" comprises individual notes and pauses,[42] and incorporates tension in its off-beat composition,[21] while its percussion increases in tempo before the accompanying instrumentation follows suit.[32] It features deep house beats,[23] resounding guitar harmonics,[37] rhythmic hi-hat,[35] and a dominant breakbeat.[40] Croft describes "Unfold" as a "gentle reverie" and "quite an emotional one."[39] On "Swept Away", she and Sim express fragile declarations of love.[32] They originally wrote the song as a ballad before Smith reworked it with a Roland TR-909 drum machine.[39] "Our Song" features a rewinding guitar sample, looped feedback,[43] and pulsating percussion buildup.[41] It is about the love shared in a friendship;[39] Croft and Sim wrote it to address each other and the band itself: "We've never done that before; we're always addressing the songs outward. It's about the function of love and the love of friends. It's important."[11]
Title and packaging
[edit]The album's title was inspired by their idea for the cover artwork, which depicts an iridescent oil spill in the shape of an "X",[23] a variation on the band's white-on-black "X" logo.[11][44] Croft compared the mixture of oil and water to her holistic view of the band, saying in an interview for Grantland:
You see a puddle of petrol on the floor – it can look sort of beautiful with the colors that come through it. I looked it up on Google or whatever, and it said oil and water don't mix, they peacefully coexist? And that's what it is when you see those colors. I liked that idea: those two things coming together to make something more beautiful than they are. And I liked the idea of us three coming together; only when the three of us are together, that's when it exists.[12]
When they informed them of the title, their record label's American office e-mailed them about there being a "Coexist" bumper sticker.[12] Croft said that "I know it has that connection, but it felt like the right word. It's cool, I guess? It's a nice message? Everybody getting along?"[12]
Marketing and sales
[edit]Coexist was released worldwide by Young Turks.[45] In May 2012, the xx played three intimate shows in London, where they previewed material from the album.[46] They also performed on the Mini Stage of the San Miguel Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain, on 31 May.[47] On 17 July, "Angels" was released as the album's lead single.[48] It charted at number 46 in Australia and at number 38 in Belgium.[49] The second single, "Chained", was released on 7 August.[50] On 28 September, the xx performed the song, along with "Sunset", on Later... with Jools Holland.[51] A remix of the song was released as a single to iTunes on 11 March 2013.[52] "Sunset" was later serviced to American modern rock radio on 28 January 2013.[53]
To test if the xx could replicate their debut album's viral success, Young Turks' parent label XL Recordings approached technology companies and agreed to a deal with Microsoft to create a visualisation that could track sharing of the album's stream.[45] The xx collaborated with designers from Internet Explorer and 9elements on the project.[54] It was designed to show lines on a global map as Coexist is shared and was inspired by media artist Aaron Koblin's visualisation of flight patterns in the US.[45] The album's stream was posted on a host site upon its release and shared with a fan in London through Facebook.[45] The stream's host site crashed within 24 hours after the stream had been shared with millions of users.[45] It subsequently reached social news site Reddit, where fans campaigned to share the album to every country possible.[45] Label executive Adam Farrell of Beggars Group, Young Turks' distributor, cited it as "one of the most significant album premieres we've ever done".[45]
Coexist debuted at number one on the Official Albums Chart with first-week sales of 58,266 copies in the United Kingdom,[55] becoming the band's first number-one album on the chart.[56] The album fell to number four in its second week, selling 22,005 copies.[57] On 14 September 2012, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies in the UK, and later in 2022, it was certified platinum.[58] Coexist also debuted at number one on record charts in Belgium,[59] New Zealand,[60] Portugal,[61] and Switzerland.[62] In the United States, it debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 with 73,000 copies sold in its first week.[63] The album debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 10,000 copies in its first week.[64]
In June 2012, the xx embarked on a 25-date, international summer tour. The tour lasted into September and featured performances at several music festivals, including Primavera Sound, Rock Werchter, Sziget Festival, Lowlands, Bestival, and Electric Picnic.[4] On 23 July, they debuted "Swept Away", "Sunset", and "Reunion" at the Music Box in Los Angeles.[65][66] Unlike the band's last tour, Smith added live percussion instruments to his repertoire.[12] In December, the xx played a five-date tour in the United Kingdom—Brighton Dome on 6 December, O2 Academy Newcastle on 11 December, Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 12 December, Colston Hall on 14 December, and Brixton Academy on 16 December.[67]
In 2014, Coexist was awarded a platinum certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,[68] indicating sales of at least 400,000 copies throughout Europe.[69]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[70] |
Metacritic | 79/100[71] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
The Daily Telegraph | [8] |
The Guardian | [27] |
The Independent | [72] |
MSN Music (Expert Witness) | A−[73] |
NME | 8/10[33] |
Pitchfork | 7.5/10[28] |
Rolling Stone | [25] |
Spin | 8/10[35] |
USA Today | [18] |
Coexist was met with generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 46 reviews.[71] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[70]
Reviewing in October 2012 for Uncut, Garry Mulholland called the album a "masterpiece" of conceptually identical but "stronger, deeper, better" music when compared to the xx's debut.[6] In Rolling Stone, Jody Rosen hailed the band as "masters of restraint",[25] while Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot felt that the album "functions as a near-perfect mood piece" and, "because there are so few elements in each song," each sound "makes a bigger impact."[26] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick praised Smith for "somehow widening and deepening the sound without intruding",[8] and Puja Patel from Spin credited him for "both stretching and magnifying the gritty beauty of his vocalists".[35] In MSN Music, Robert Christgau applauded the group's preoccupation with "young love" and stated, "these scrupulously abstract verses capture its obsessive doubts and fragile exaltations with delicacy and tenderness."[73] Michael Alan Goldberg of The Village Voice called the album "gorgeous" and said that the music is like a "haiku instead of sonnet; Hemingway rather than Fitzgerald, with meaning and emotion lurking beneath the surface."[74] Simon Price found the group's take on the duet concept highly engaging and emotional while deeming Coexist a greater work than their debut album.[20]
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Andy Gill of The Independent believed that the band's songs had taken on "raging emotions" lacking on their debut and making Coexist a worthy but occasionally "uneasy listening".[72] The New York Times critic Jon Caramanica said the record suffers from a difficult second half on what is otherwise "as insular and micro as ambitious pop music can be ... a wonderful experiment in the power of absence."[16] Arnold Pan from PopMatters was more critical, calling it monotonous and "an exercise in delayed gratification",[37] while Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times panned the lyrics as "one-dimensional planes floating through the group's oft-glorious 3-D spaces".[43]
Several critics and publications ranked Coexist as one of 2012's best albums in their year-end, top-ten lists, including Kitty Empire of The Observer, The Austin Chronicle, Les Inrockuptibles, State magazine, and The Guardian, whose staff voted it eighth.[75] It was named the 14th best album of the year by both NME magazine and Christgau in his list for The Barnes & Noble Review.[76][77] However, the magazine XLR8R ranked the album number seven on their list of the most overrated releases of the year, feeling that the trio's dark and minimal sound on the record was not as exciting as on their debut LP.[78]
Track listing
[edit]All lyrics are written by Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, except where noted; all music is composed by Jamie Smith, Sim and Croft
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Angels" (lyrics by Croft) | 2:51 |
2. | "Chained" (contains a sample of "Lilies of the Nile" as performed by The Crusaders) | 2:47 |
3. | "Fiction" (lyrics by Sim) | 2:56 |
4. | "Try" | 3:15 |
5. | "Reunion" | 3:57 |
6. | "Sunset" | 3:38 |
7. | "Missing" | 3:33 |
8. | "Tides" | 3:01 |
9. | "Unfold" | 3:02 |
10. | "Swept Away" | 4:59 |
11. | "Our Song" | 3:13 |
Total length: | 37:11 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Reconsider" | 3:46 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of Coexist.[1]
The xx
- Romy Madley Croft – art direction, guitar, keyboards (on "Chained"), vocals
- Oliver Sim – bass, synthesiser (on "Fiction"), vocals
- Jamie Smith – beats, engineering, mixing, MPC, organ (on "Try" and "Reunion), piano (on "Fiction" and "Swept Away"), production, steel pans (on "Reunion")
- The xx – design
Additional personnel
- Sarah Chapman – strings (on "Tides")
- Charlotte Eksteen – strings (on "Tides")
- David Evans – photography
- Phil Lee – art direction, design
- Rodaidh McDonald – mixing
- Mandy Parnell – mastering
- Ivo Stankov – strings (on "Tides")
- James Underwood – strings (on "Tides")
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA)[122] | Gold | 15,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[123] | Gold | 40,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[124] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[125] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] | Platinum | 266,239[126] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Label |
---|---|---|
Japan[79] | 5 September 2012 | Hostess |
Australia[127] | 7 September 2012 | Young Turks |
Ireland[128] | ||
Germany[129] |
| |
France[130] | 10 September 2012 | XL |
Poland[131] | ||
United Kingdom[132] | Young Turks | |
United States[133] | 11 September 2012 | |
Italy[134] | XL |
See also
[edit]- List of Irish Independent Albums Chart number-one albums of 2012
- List of number-one albums in 2012 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits of 2012 (Switzerland)
- List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2010s
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Coexist (CD liner notes). The xx. London: Young Turks. 2012. YT080CD.
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External links
[edit]- Official website
- Coexist at Discogs (list of releases)