Wikipedia

Guess (song)

This article is about the Charli XCX song. For the Lucky Daye song, see Candydrip.

"Guess" is a song by British singer Charli XCX taken from Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not, the deluxe edition of her sixth studio album, Brat (2024). A remix version featuring American singer Billie Eilish was released on 1 August 2024 as a single from Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat, the remix album of Brat. The song interpolates the Daft Punk song "Technologic". Released alongside a music video from which 10,000 pairs of underwear were donated to I Support the Girls, the remix marked the first studio collaboration by Eilish in several years and was the fourth remix from Brat.

"Guess"
Single by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish
from the album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat
Released1 August 2024 (2024-08-01)
Genre
Length2:23
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Charli XCX singles chronology
"360"
(2024) 		"Guess"
(2024) 		"Apple"
(2024)
Billie Eilish singles chronology
"Birds of a Feather"
(2024) 		"Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
(2024)
Music video
"Guess featuring Billie Eilish" on YouTube

"Guess" received positive reviews from critics and entered the top of the UK Singles Chart, and at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, as well as the charts in Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, and New Zealand, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Canada, Norway, and Sweden. The song became Charli's first UK number one as a solo artist. The remix received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

Original version and background

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The original version of "Guess" was released on 10 June 2024 through Atlantic Records as the seventeenth track of the deluxe version of her sixth studio album, Brat.[1] It was produced by the Dare and co-written with Dylan Brady of 100 gecs, with the chorus interpolating the loop from French electronic duo Daft Punk's 2005 song "Technologic".[2] "Guess" makes references to guessing the colour of her underwear and cunnilingus.[3] Upon release, the song was described as "extremely horny" by Kaelen Bell of Exclaim![4]

In May 2024, Eilish stated in an interview with Zane Lowe that she had been in a studio for the first time in several years and had recorded a collaboration with an artist she was a huge fan of. She also mentioned that she had previously resisted such collaborations due to nervousness.[5] Charli had previously expressed an interest in collaborating with Eilish as early as 2017, though the pair were unable to find an appropriate song.[6]

On 31 July 2024, Charli XCX shared a post with the artwork of the remix, asking followers to guess based on the cover showing just the lower profiles of both artists.[7] The singer is seen wearing white mini-skirt while the collaborator wears baggy jeans and several rings on their hand. Based on the details, fans quickly figured out the featured artist to be Eilish.[8] That same day, fans shared pictures of flyers asking people to call a phone number that plays a snippet of the remix.[9]

Release and music video

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Charli XCX and Billie Eilish in the music video for the song

On 31 July, Charli XCX confirmed the remix with Eilish and announced the release for the following day.[10] It is the fifth remix of a Brat track, following "Girl, So Confusing" with Lorde, "360" with Yung Lean and Robyn, "Von Dutch" with Skream and Benga, and "Von Dutch" with Addison Rae.[11] Eilish's verse features a little extra bass, which Anna Gaca of Pitchfork interpreted as representing Eilish "spott[ing] the girl she likes and her heart's pounding".[12] An accompanying music video directed by Aidan Zamiri was released alongside the remix.[13] According to Zamiri, the video was filmed on 28 July 2024, only four days ahead of its release.[14] The video starts in a house party hosted by Charli XCX, where Eilish appears driving a skiploader through the wall. The two then walk on a street where panties are falling from the sky before climbing a pile of them.[15]

"There's people for every style. Just because somebody is experiencing homelessness doesn't mean that they don't prefer to wear a thong."

Dana Marlowe talking to BBC Newsbeat in August 2024[16]

The video ends with a message revealing that the unworn undergarments used in the video would be donated to I Support the Girls, an American charity which distributes underwear and period products to women suffering domestic violence, homelessness, and hardship. The charity later stated that it had received 10,000 pairs, much of which was "sexy", and its founder Dana Marlowe stated that they welcomed such a donation on the grounds that it was important to them to encourage choice.[16]

Reception

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The song was received positively. Marcus Wratten of PinkNews described the song as "super-sapphic",[6] while Talecia Vescio of Junkee Media wrote that the song served "cunt".[17] Robin Murray of Clash wrote that the song's "seismic, system shaking, Earth shuddering electronics [revel] in Millennial tropes – French touch and electroclash – while also pirouetting to the future [and] remaining loyal to her hyper pop fantasies".[18] In addition, Anna Gaca of Pitchfork described the track as "a cheeky, bikini, high-rise, hipster remix" of the original,[12] and the track's release elicited reactions from Amelia Dimoldenberg, Julia Fox, Adam Lambert, Suki Waterhouse, Addison Rae, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Rita Ora.[19]

One fan described Eilish's lyrics "Charli likes boys but she knows I'd hit it" as "predatory" and accused her of queerbaiting, prompting an angry response from Eilish's brother Finneas O'Connell.[20] Many fans interpreted a whispered lyric at the end of the track, "You wanna guess what me and Billie have been textin' about? (You've been disrespectful)/ Still tryin' to guess the password to my Google Drive (Are you obsessed with me?)/ You wanna guess the address of the party we're at (You know you're not invited)", to be a jab at Taylor Swift, because her album The Tortured Poets Department had obstructed both Charli's Brat and Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft from the top of the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200, respectively.[21]

Critics' year-end rankings of "Guess (Remix)"
Publication List Rank Ref.
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Songs of 2024 11 [22]
The Guardian The 20 Best Songs of 2024 3 [23]

Accolades

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Awards and nominations for "Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2024 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Collaboration Nominated [24]
MTV Video Music Awards Song of Summer Nominated [25]
Musa Awards International Collaboration of the Year Nominated [26]
UK Music Video Awards Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK Nominated [27]
Best Production Design in a Video Nominated
2025 Grammy Awards Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Pending [28]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Guess"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[79] Platinum 80,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Certifications for "Guess" (remix)
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[80] Platinum 70,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[81] Gold 15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[82] Gold 25,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[83] Gold 5,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[84] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Guess"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various 1 August 2024
Remix featuring Billie Eilish Atlantic [86]
11 November 2024 7-inch vinyl Original [87]

References

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  1. ^ Wickes, Hanna (31 July 2024). "So Brat: Fans Think Charli XCX and Billie Eilish's 'Guess' Remix May Be About Taylor Swift". J-14. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  2. ^ Corcoran, Nina (10 June 2024). "Charli XCX Releases Deluxe Edition of Brat: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. ^ fantano (10 June 2024). BRAT and it's the same but there's 3 more songs so it's not REVIEW but it's just the 3 more songs. Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ "Charli XCX Drops 'Brat and it's the same but there's three more songs so it's not' │ Exclaim!". Charli XCX Drops 'Brat and it's the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not' │ Exclaim!. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. ^ Rogerson, Ben (2 August 2024). ""I was like, 'Why are you making me do that - what are you talking about!?": Why Billie Eilish's collaboration with Charli XCX on Guess might not have happened". MusicRadar. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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