In the City (Charli XCX and Sam Smith song)

History between the two artist dates back as far as 2014, when both would hang out together at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards as well as a subsequent cover of "Stay with Me" by Charli.[1] Nine years later, in the music video for her single "Speed Drive," Charli hinted at an upcoming collaboration through a phone call with Smith in which they ask whether she heard the "new mix" and prompt her to "submit" it.[2]

On 7 October, Charli shared a snippet of a track she had been working on in the studio, described as "upbeat dance-pop". The news came shortly after she confirmed to be working on the successor of Crash (2022).[3] Smith confirmed the collaboration on 11 October through a post on Instagram where they are seen strutting down an alleyway in Osaka, Japan, to another snippet of the track.[4] Charli announced the track on her social media on 13 October.[5]

The roughly 3-minute dance track is in the tech house genre. It starts with a thumping beat before Charli starts solo-singing. On the third beat-shift, the vocals drop off and Sam starts his solo part 80 seconds into the track, lasting less than 15 seconds before the two start singing together.

They claim to have found something they never thought they would find "in the city, in the dark", a phrase which is repeated throughout the chorus of the song. The narrative of the duet weaves between the two performers: Charli in her verse sings about becoming like water as she dances beneath the lights; Sam in their verse sings how they feel about the other person when they met them in New York City.