Coexist (album)

Coexist is the second studio album by English indie pop band the xx. It was released 5 September 2012 by the Young Turks record label.

After a break from touring for their 2009 self-titled first album, the xx's band members began to write songs individually before they recorded Coexist from November 2011 to May 2012. For the album, the group drew on personal experiences for their songwriting, while their music was influenced by the electronic dance scene that occurred when they had been away on tour. It was produced by the band's Jamie Smith, who had pursued electronic dance on other projects and developed as a DJ prior to the album.

Coexist features a minimalist musical style with spatial arrangements, loose song structure, minimal variation in dynamics, and experimentation with tension. Its songs are characterised by sparse elements such as simple chord progression, keyboard ostinatos, and fading motifs, while Smith's production incorporates both programmed beats and live percussion instruments. The lyrics, written by guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim, feature inner monologue and simple metaphors to explore a failing relationship and the emotional dynamics of a romance.

The album debuted at number one on the United Kingdom's Official Albums Chart while selling 58,266 copies. It also charted in the top 10 in several other countries and was eventually certified platinum by the Independent Music Companies Association, having sold at least 400,000 copies in Europe. To promote the album, four songs were released as singles, including "Angels" and "Chained", while the xx toured during June to December 2012 throughout Europe and North America. Critically, Coexist was also a success, with several music publications ranking it as one of the year's top-ten albums.

In 2009, the xx released their self-titled debut album to critical acclaim. It was certified platinum in the United Kingdom and also sold 350,000 copies in the United States. It showcased their characteristically moody, R&B and post-dubstep-influenced indie pop style and lyrical themes of loneliness, lust, and love. After the departure of group member Baria Qureshi, the xx exclusively played live concerts throughout 2010, including several high-profile summer music festivals, and garnered a growing fanbase. The band's popularity grew further when their songs featured in television shows and commercials, and they were also covered and sampled by well-known recording artists. In 2010, their debut album won the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best record from the UK and Ireland.

Following an exhausting tour, the xx went on a break. The band's producer and percussionist Jamie Smith pursued electronic dance styles on other musical projects, creating remixes for Radiohead, Adele, and Florence and the Machine. He also collaborated on Gil Scott-Heron's 2011 album We're New Here, and produced Drake's 2012 song "Take Care". The latter exemplified and helped popularise the xx's sound as well. A novice to DJing when starting out with the xx, he subsequently learned its technical aspects and developed a grasp on controlling the crowd through unexpected silences and drops during his live sets.

In 2011, the xx opened their own recording studio in London and began writing songs for Coexist during the summer. Each member—guitarist Romy Madley Croft, bassist Oliver Sim, and Smith—wrote music individually and recorded snippets using GarageBand or their phones. Both Croft and Sim drew on personal experiences and wrote more direct lyrics than on the band's debut to express complex emotions. Sim said of his songwriting for Coexist, "I found myself being a lot less 'moons and stars' and being a lot more literal." Croft felt more expectations from listeners than when the band debuted and consequently turned to more personal songwriting for Coexist:

I was sitting at home knowing people were going to hear us and what they were going to say. But late at night when I was writing things down, I eventually got back to writing about myself. And that's good. Because we've got to sing these songs for a while, so it's really important to feel close to them, to feel like they're real.