Doing It

Album: Sucker (2014)
Charted: 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Charli XCX wrote this guitar-tinged synth-pop song about reuniting with a lover with:

    Californian producer Ariel Reichstadt, who has also worked with Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Usher, Vampire Weekend, Plain White T's and Haim.

    Australian/British songwriter Jarrad Rogers whose resume includes UK Top 20 hits for Boyzone ("Love You Anyway," Tinchy Stryder & Pixie Lott ("Bright Lights," Rebecca Ferguson ("I Hope") and Ella Eyre ("If I Go").
  • Charli initially recorded this solo for the US edition of Sucker. She re-recorded the song for the European edition of the album. The "Boom Clap" singer is joined by Rita Ora for the new version, who croons the second verse. Charli told Digital Spy about the collaboration: "Rita had heard the song quite a while ago, and she wanted it for her album, and I told her that she couldn't have it," she said. "I was being selfish [laughs]."

    "I said we can do it together, and she was into it," Charli added. "It was in the works for a while, but I knew I wanted her to be on it. And it sounded great when she cut the vocal, I was very happy."
  • The colorful video was directed by Adam Powell, whose other credits include Example's "Changed the Way You Kiss Me," Birdy's "People Help the People" and Jessie Ware's "You & I (Forever)."

    The clip features XCX and Ora as a pair of bandits who are chased into the desert by police in their pink truck. The police eventually catch up with them, but instead of busting the duo, they join in on the party. "I wanted it to be like this badass Barbie Thelma and Louise-esque video," Charli told Buzzfeed. "So we robbed a store with toy guns, rode a bucking bronco and nearly crashed a pink pick-up truck through the desert."

    The pair nearly didn't complete the shoot. "I nearly killed both of us on the set by crashing this Barbie truck into the middle of the desert," Charli recalled to Metro. "There were no air bags. It was this old truck. It was a death-trap!"
  • Charli originally wrote the song in the spring of 2014 at producer Trevor Horn's house. She recalled: "I had a house party at his place without him knowing and I wrote it the next day, when I was kinda hungover."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.