Eleven

Album: released as a single (2020)
Charted: 70 83
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Eleven" is a sultry guitar-laden tune where Khalid uses the metaphor of a late-night drive to sing about the thrills of a new crush. During the chorus, he asks his romantic interest if she likes him.

    Late at night, eleven, we're cruisin'
    Lately, I've been watchin' your movements
    If I'm the only one that you're choosin'
    Am I your favorite drug you've been usin'


    Speaking to Zane Lowe on his Beats1 Radio show, Khalid said: "I love making music you could drive to, and I feel like "Eleven" is, like, the perfect track to just play on your stereo, grip the wheel of your car and just, I mean, just go where the wind takes you. That's what this song makes me feel like."
  • Khalid's go-to songwriting partner Digi and Simon Says (Selena Gomez's "Rare") helmed the track. The singer cited the turn-of-the-century R&B music of Missy Elliot and Aaliyah as inspirations for the tune.

    "This one, I just wanted to do something different. I'm R&B to my core, an R&B household, my mom lives, breathes, sleeps R&B music. So I really feel like this is the ode to, just, people who came before me. I really love, you know, it reminds me of, you know, like, that Timbaland era with Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, just where, music just felt so good that you just wanted to turn it on and drive."
  • The song features some additional ad-libs by English singer Craig David that add to the song's nostalgic feel.

    "We got some of him tucked up in the back of that record for sure, a couple of hidden ad-libs, vocal chops, all that," Khalid said. "He's awesome. He's amazing. He definitely has the ad lib that's just fly and it's soaring across the song and I feel like it really makes it what it was in the first place."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.