The xx

The xx emerged in London as an atmospheric English indie pop outfit centered on Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Baria Qureshi, and Jamie Smith while all four were still attending high school. The captivating and cool quartet drew from a wide spectrum of sounds, encompassing R&B figures such as Aaliyah and Rihanna alongside classic alternative rock acts like the Cure and the Pixies. Anchored by the dual vocals of Croft and Sim, the band’s characteristic moody, soulful indie rock surfaced in early 2009 via the single “Crystalised,” generating considerable excitement among both critics and listeners. Their self-titled debut LP reached the U.K. market in July of that year and appeared stateside the next month. By year’s end Qureshi had departed; the remaining members issued a statement through NME attributing the split to “personal differences.” Throughout 2010 the group maintained an active touring schedule that included appearances at multiple prominent summer festivals, and in September the album received Britain’s prestigious Mercury Prize. In a parallel project Smith collaborated with Gil Scott-Heron on the remix album We’re New Here, whose track “I’ll Take Care of U” was later sampled by Drake for the song “Take Care.” Mid-2012 brought the singles “Angels” and “Chained,” which preceded the September arrival of the band’s second album, Coexist. The following year the xx contributed the song “Together” to the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s cinematic version of The Great Gatsby. Work on a third album commenced in 2014, with sessions taking place across Marfa, Texas, London, Reykjavik, and Los Angeles. Jamie xx issued his solo debut In Colour in 2015, incorporating input from both Sim and Croft. The single “On Hold,” unveiled late in 2016, previewed the more energetic and eclectic tone of I See You, which followed in January 2017.