10/10 (Rex Orange County song) explained

"10/10" is a song by the English musician Rex Orange County, from his third studio album, Pony (2019). The song was released on 12 September 2019, as the lead single from the album. It was written by Rex Orange County, who produced the song with Ben Baptie.

Background and release

Throughout 2019, no hints were revealed at the release of a new album from Rex Orange County, with only a stand-alone single being released from him, entitled "New House" on 14 February 2019.^[2] "10/10" was previewed for the first time during Rex Orange County's Glastonbury Festival set on 30 June 2019, where an image of the official set list revealed the song's title.^[3]

He first teased the release of his third studio album via Twitter on 4 September 2019, tweeting "REX3".^[4] He then revealed the song on 12 September 2019, announcing it would premiere on BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac.^[5] Following the song's release on the same day, his second studio album, Pony, was announced a week later, on 19 September 2019, confirming "10/10" as the album's lead single.^[6]

Composition and lyrics

The song's sheet music, published by Universal Music Publishing on Musicnotes.com, shows that the song is written in the key of E-flat major, and has a tempo of 94 beats per minute. The vocals in the song span from G3 to E5.^[7]

Billboards Rania Aniftos described the song's sound as a "synth-y tune," while further writing that its lyrics were about "bouncing back" after reaching a low point in life, with the lines; "I had a year that nearly sent me off the edge / I feel like a five, I can't pretend / But if I get my shit together this year / Maybe I'll be a ten."^[8] Writing for NME, Nick Reilly wrote that the song reflects on Rex Orange County's own personal struggles, citing the same lines mentioned by Billboard.^[9]

Music video

Directed by Warren Fu, the music video for "10/10" premiered on the same day as the song's release.^[10]

The video features what The Fader describes as "just another day at home," with Rex Orange County making music, cartoon ghosts coming to life, and dancing crash test dummies.

Charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"

Peak position
New Zealand Hot Singles (Recorded Music NZ)[11]	22
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[12]	6

Notes and References

1. Renshaw . David . The 20 best rock songs right now. . 26 September 2019 . 26 February 2024.
2. Renshaw. David. Listen to Rex Orange County’s Valentine’s Day song "New House". The Fader. 14 February 2019. 29 February 2024.
3. Graves. Shahlin. Watch Rex Orange County debut new song '10/10' at Glastonbury 2019.. Coup de Main Magazine. 1 July 2019. 19 March 2024.
4. English. Laura. Rex Orange County Gets Real On New Track ’10/10′. Music Feeds. 13 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
5. Di Iorio. Michael. Rex Orange County to release new song ’10/10′ tomorrow. The Brag. 12 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
6. Caraan. Sophie. Rex Orange County Announces New Studio Album 'Pony'. Hypebeast. 19 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
7. Web site: 10/10. www.musicnotes.com. 12 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
8. Aniftos. Rania. Rex Orange County Is Getting Better on ’10/10′: Listen. Billboard. 12 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
9. Reilly. Nick. Listen to ’10/10′, the new single from Rex Orange County. NME. 12 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
10. Maicki. Salvatore. Rex Orange County returns with new single "10/10". The Fader. 12 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
11. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. 23 September 2019. 29 February 2024.
12. Rex Orange County Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs). Billboarddate=29 February 2024.