On 17 August 2009, the group released their debut album xx on Young Turks label. The album was recorded in a small garage and produced by the band. It garnered critical acclaim and has been generally well-received, scoring an average of 86/100 based on 24 professional reviews. Also it ranked on "best of the year" lists with Rolling Stone placing it at #9 and NME placing it at #2.
Four singles were released from their debut album: "Crystalised", "Basic Space", "Islands" and "VCR".
The xx also remixed the classic song "You've Got The Love" originally written by The Source and covered by Florence + the Machine. They also added their own vocals on the song. The group won the 2010 Mercury Prize for their album on 7th September 2010. After being the bookies' favourites for many of the weeks leading up to the announcement, they beat eleven other acts.
"Angels" was the first single from The xx’s second album, Coexist. It was released on July 16 2012. A second track from the album, "Chained", was released on line prior to the official Coexist launch on 11 September.
In June 2014, it was revealed in an interview with Dazed that the trio were working on their third studio album, with producer Rodaidh McDonald at the Marfa Recording Company studio in Marfa, Texas. Further writing and recording sessions were held in London, New York, Reykavik and Los Angeles. The 2016 album 'I See You' title and tracklist, were revealed after untitled audio clips uploaded to Spotify were matched on Shazam. 'On Hold' was launched on November 10th.
http://thexx.info
Performance
The xx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you hear what I don't say?
If I dance like I'm on a stage
Will you see I seem out of place?
If I put on a disguise
Will you think everything's alright?
If I leave before the end
Will you forget that I was there?
When you saw me leaving
Did you think I had a place to go?
Since you stopped believing
I've had to put on my own show
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a show
It is a performance
I do it all so
You won't see my hurting
When my heart it breaks
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a brave face
Even when I was hurting
You could always find me
Now you've stopped looking for me
But I'm still playing hide and seek
I want you to notice
But you just don't see
The show is wasted on you
So I perform for me
When you saw me leaving
Did you think I had a place to go?
Since you stopped believing
I've had to put on my own show
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a show
It is a performance
I do it all so
You won't see my hurting
When my heart it breaks
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a brave face
The xx's song "Performance" is a vulnerable and emotional take on the feeling of having to put up a facade and hide your true emotions from someone who no longer understands or cares about you. The lyrics are an open and honest admission of the singer's struggle to express themselves and be heard by someone who was once close to them. The first stanza suggests that the singer has tried various ways of communicating their feelings, whether it is through screaming, dancing, or disguising themselves, but their attempts are met with indifference. They wonder if their presence will be remembered even if they leave before the end.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's personal journey. They feel abandoned and forgotten by someone who used to believe in them. They have been left to their own devices and have had to create their own meaning and purpose. Despite feeling alone and disconnected, the singer finds solace in putting on a performance for themselves. The chorus is a repetition of the singer's promise to put on a brave face and continue the show despite their pain and heartbreak.
Overall, "Performance" is a raw and poignant expression of the struggle to communicate and connect with someone who has stopped caring. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's inner turmoil and their courage to keep going despite feeling overlooked and misunderstood.
Line by Line Meaning
If I scream at the top of my lungs
Even if I scream, will you pay attention to what I am not saying?
Will you hear what I don't say?
Will you listen beyond my words?
If I dance like I'm on a stage
Will you notice my awkwardness even if I'm trying to perform?
Will you see I seem out of place?
Can you sense the discomfort behind the facade?
If I put on a disguise
If I hide behind a mask, will you still see the real me?
Will you think everything's alright?
Will you ignore my pain and pretend that everything is fine?
If I leave before the end
If I walk away, will you forget about me?
Will you forget that I was there?
Will you erase the memories of our time together?
When you saw me leaving
Did you think I had a place to go?
Did you think I had a place to go?
Did you assume that I had somewhere else to be?
Since you stopped believing
Since you lost faith in me
I've had to put on my own show
I've been forced to put on a performance by myself
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a show
I'll put on a show
I'll pretend that everything is okay
It is a performance
It is just an act
I do it all so
I do it all for myself
You won't see my hurting
You won't witness my pain
When my heart it breaks
When I am heartbroken
I'll put on a brave face
I'll mask my emotions
Even when I was hurting
Even when I was in pain
You could always find me
You used to be able to locate me
Now you've stopped looking for me
Now you no longer search for me
But I'm still playing hide and seek
But I'm still hiding
I want you to notice
I want you to pay attention
But you just don't see
But you're not looking
The show is wasted on you
My performance is pointless for you
So I perform for me
So I do it for myself
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Romy Anna Madley Croft, Oliver David Sim, James Thomas Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geehmansur
I scream at the top of my lungs
Will you hear what I don't say?
If I dance like I'm on the stage
Will you see I seem out of place?
If I put on a disguise
Will you think everything's alright?
If I leave before the end
Will you forget that I was there?
When you saw me leaving
Did you think I had a place to go?
Since you stopped believing
I've had to put on my own show
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a show
It is a performance
I do it all so
You won't see my hurting
When my heart it breaks
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a brave face
Even when I was hurting
You could always find me
Now you've stopped looking for me
But I'm still playing hide and seek
I want you to notice
But you just don't see
The show is wasted on you
So I perform for me
So I perform for me
So I perform for me
So I perform for me
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a show
It is a performance
I do it all so
You won't see my hurting
When my heart it breaks
I'll put on a performance
I'll put on a brave face
@porphyriontimotheoios1107
My understanding is that she wrote this after parents died. I remember going to their concert with my husband who introduced me to the band, and she performed it live. You could definitely see the emotion written on her face as she sang. Now my husband and I are divorced, and I wish more than anything in the world I could have him back. I used to listen to this song and just appreciate her voice and the melody. I can definitely feel those emotions now. I know what it is to put on a performance every day when inside my heart has been smashed into a million pieces. I guess that's life, though.
@jerrihendrixx
I can listen to her voice forever, it's so soothing the beat ... the sounds xx
@Scarywesley4
This is my favorite song on the album hands down. It perfectly describes how I feel sometimes.
@danibourne4629
Cannot get this song out of my head can't stop listening to it and singing it
@edwardt3k3lo
My top 3 I see you songs:
1-Performance
2-A violent noise
3-On hold ♥
@daisyalas2280
I love the album 💕 I have a strong connection to your music, I listened to it every night to fall asleep when I was going through a hard time in my life. It helped me feel calm. Now I get the chance to see you in San Francisco for the first time and I am beyond happy 🙌❤
@fox1287
Such a haunting sound. Truly beautiful story-telling with music.
@kayy4511
the xx-- nice enough to put the lyrics in the description box
@californiadreaming567
I heard her sing Performance on the TV show Catfish dated 4/17/17 titled Ari & Lanum. I enjoyed the two lines that I heard😊😊😊😊
@dariorobertherma7169
I know The xx from the very beginning. They are magicans instead of musicians IMO