Exes (song)
"Exes" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae. It was released on November 17, 2023, through RCA Records as the second single from her second studio album, Think Later (2023). The song has reached the top 10 in Canada, as well as number 23 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
Background[edit]
"Exes" was the last song written for Think Later. While McRae was creating the track list for the album with Ryan Tedder, he suggested that they write a song together with Spry in 30 minutes. The result of their session was "Exes", which was "fully produced and vocal tracked" in 90 minutes.[3] The song was then selected as the next single from the album. McRae described the process as "the most Think Later thing we could ever have done".[4]
Promotion[edit]
On November 14, 2023, McRae confirmed the release of "Exes" on her Instagram and TikTok.[5] The announcement post on Instagram was captioned with the lyric "kisses to my xx",[6] while she had previously teased the song in a TikTok video a few days prior.[7]
McRae performed "Exes" on the December 12, 2023, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[8] She also included "Exes" in her sets at the 2023 edition of the Jingle Bell Ball[9] and the 2024 edition of the NHL All-Star Game.[10]
Music video[edit]
The music video was filmed seven days after the song was written.[4] It was directed by Aerin Moreno and choreographed by Sean Bankhead.[11] Inspired by artists such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, McRae wanted choreography to have a prominent role in the video.[3] It shows her dancing with a group of female backup dancers in a run-down rodeo.[11][12]