The xx

Atmospheric English indie pop group the xx formed in London around the talents of Romy Madley Croft, <a href="spotify:artist:4KDu9uqzqseVCpQXMa8Pvm">Oliver Sim</a>, Baria Qureshi, and Jamie Smith, when the bandmembers were still in high school. Captivating and cool, the group cites influences that run the gamut from R&B (<a href="spotify:artist:0urTpYCsixqZwgNTkPJOJ4">Aaliyah</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5pKCCKE2ajJHZ9KAiaK11H">Rihanna</a>) to classic alternative rock (<a href="spotify:artist:7bu3H8JO7d0UbMoVzbo70s">the Cure</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6zvul52xwTWzilBZl6BUbT">the Pixies</a>). Built around the duel vocals of Croft and <a href="spotify:artist:4KDu9uqzqseVCpQXMa8Pvm">Sim</a>, the group's signature brand of moody, soulful indie rock first appeared on the public radar in early 2009 with the single "Crystalised," which created a huge buzz among critics and fans alike. The xx released their self-titled debut LP in July of that year in the U.K.; it was released in the U.S. the following month. Late that year, Qureshi was no longer part of the group; the rest of the xx released a statement via NME saying this was due to "personal differences." During 2010, the live dates continued, including spots at several high-profile summer festivals, and in September, their album won Britain's coveted Mercury Prize. Meanwhile, Smith worked with <a href="spotify:artist:0kEfub5RzlZOB2zGomqVSU">Gil Scott-Heron</a> on the remix album We're New Here (in turn spawning the <a href="spotify:artist:3TVXtAsR1Inumwj472S9r4">Drake</a> song "Take Care," which sampled the pair's "I'll Take Care of U"). In mid-2012, a pair of singles, "Angels" and "Chained," heralded the release of the group's second album, Coexist, that September. The following year, the band's song "Together" appeared on the soundtrack to <a href="spotify:artist:7HhTERkBV4Ot14KphgBfSh">Baz Luhrmann</a>'s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The xx began working on their third album in 2014, and recorded in locales as varied as Marfa, Texas, London, Reykjavik, and Los Angeles. <a href="spotify:artist:7A0awCXkE1FtSU8B0qwOJQ">Jamie xx</a>'s solo debut In Colour, which featured contributions from <a href="spotify:artist:4KDu9uqzqseVCpQXMa8Pvm">Sim</a> and Croft, arrived in 2015. Late in 2016, the single "On Hold" introduced the more energetic, eclectic direction of I See You, which was released in January 2017. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi