"Trying to Be Cool"
Single by Phoenix
from the album Bankrupt!
Released9 July 2013[1]
Recorded2011–2012
Length3:48 (album version)
3:33 (radio edit)
3:35 (remix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Phoenix
Phoenix singles chronology
"Entertainment"
(2013)
"Trying to Be Cool"
(2013)
"S.O.S. in Bel Air"
(2013)

"Trying to Be Cool" is a song by the French band Phoenix from their fifth album Bankrupt!. It was released as the second single from the album on 8 July 2013.[1] The official remix features R. Kelly. The song became Phoenix's third top-ten hit on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, after "1901" and "Lisztomania". The song's cover includes a mint julep, which is said in one of the song's lines, "mint julep testosterone". Frontman Thomas Mars told Spin magazine the lyrics to "Trying to Be Cool" mainly analyse "the beauty of the fake".

Music video

The single's music video, which was directed by Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA[2] and produced by the homonymous production company, CANADA, and The Creators Project, was released on YouTube on 2 July 2013.[3] The music video includes a "surprise" made every 20 seconds.

The version of the song used in the music video is more guitar-driven and less synthesizer-driven than the album version. In addition, the video version is a medley with "Drakkar Noir". This combination has become the typical live-performance of the song for Phoenix's concerts.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Trying to Be Cool"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[4] 20
Canada Rock Songs (Billboard) 29
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) 31
US Rock Airplay (Billboard) 16

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Trying to Be Cool"
Chart (2013) Position
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[5] 30

References

  1. 1 2 Levine, Nick (5 July 2013). "Phoenix – 'Trying To Be Cool'". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  2. Marc Hogan (2 July 2013). "Phoenix's 'Trying to Be Cool'-'Drakkar Noir' Video Overflows With Creativity". Spin. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  3. "Phoenix's 'Trying To Be Cool' Video Debuts Off Of 'Bankrupt!'". The Huffington Post. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  4. "Phoenix – Trying To Be Cool" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  5. "Alternative Songs: Year End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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