Charli XCX Relives a Night Out ‘In the City’ With New Sam Smith Collab: Stream It Now

Before the weekend officially arrives, Charli XCX and Sam Smith want you to hype yourself up for a night on the town with their ecstatic new single.

On Thursday (Oct. 19), the pair of pop stars released their first-ever collaboration “In the City,” a glittering dance track dedicated to finding community during nights out at clubs. Produced by ILYA, A. G. Cook, Omer Fedi, George Daniel and Charli XCX, the new song features chunky house pianos, shimmering synth lines, and an instantly-catchy chorus that will keep you dancing throughout your weekend festivities.

In a statement released alongside the song, Charli explained that “In the City” celebrates the chaotic beauty of making friends during nights out at gay bars around the globe. “The song is about finding the people you truly love and connect with through wild nights out and partying in magical places,” she wrote. “It’s about feeling accepted, the magnificence of being welcomed into queer spaces and those once in a lifetime people you get to meet when you’re there.”

Both artists have spent the last two weeks teasing the new track across their social media channels, including an Instagram video that showed Smith strutting down an alleyway and lip-synching along to their verse. When Smith dropped their video, fans quickly put the pieces together and celebrated the upcoming collab.

But when some fans made less-than-kind comments about Smith thanks to the promotion, Charli quickly came to her collaborator’s defense. “Never in my life have I seen someone receive so many hateful comments online. It’s been really disheartening,” the singer said in a TikTok posted on Tuesday (Oct. 17). “At the same time, I am so proud of Sam’s ability to withstand that because I know I certainly couldn’t withstand it. So, I want to say: Sam, I love you, I love our song together, and I am in awe of your strength.”

Check out Charli XCX & Sam Smith’s “In the City” below: