You remember the first time you heard that guitar riff. It wasn't loud. It didn't demand your attention like a typical pop anthem. Instead, it just sort of floated there—clean, echoing, and painfully honest. When The xx released their debut album back in 2009, they weren't trying to start a revolution. They were teenagers from Southwest London, alumni of the Elliott School, which, strangely enough, also produced Burial and Hot Chip. They recorded in a tiny garage during the dead of night because that’s when it was quiet. You can hear that silence in every note. It’s the sound of three friends—Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith (now better known as Jamie xx)—trying not to wake the neighbors while creating something that would eventually change the DNA of indie music.
People call it "minimalism." That’s a fancy way of saying they knew when to shut up. In an era of maximalist production and David Guetta-style drops, The xx went the other way. They stripped everything back to the bone. No big drums. No wall of sound. Just a heartbeat of a beat and those dual vocals that sounded like two people whispering secrets under a duvet. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle it worked at all.
The Secret Language of Romy and Oliver
The core of the band’s magic isn't just the gear or the production. It’s the relationship between Romy and Oliver. They’ve been friends since they were three years old. You can't fake that kind of chemistry. When they sing to each other, it doesn't feel like a performance; it feels like a private conversation you're accidentally overhearing.
Most bands have a "lead" singer. Not this one. They trade lines like they’re finishing each other’s thoughts. On tracks like "Crystalised" or "VCR," the vocals are mixed so dry and close that you can hear the intake of breath. It’s intimate. It’s also incredibly vulnerable. They don’t belt. They don’t do vocal runs. They just state facts about how it feels to be young and slightly terrified of your own emotions.
Why the Space Between Notes Matters
Jamie xx is the secret weapon. While Romy and Oliver provided the emotional skeleton, Jamie provided the atmosphere. He grew up on London’s club scene—dubstep (the real kind, not the loud American kind), UK garage, and soul. He brought those textures into a "rock" setting.
Think about the track "Intro." It’s barely two minutes long. It has no lyrics. Yet, it’s one of the most recognizable pieces of music of the 21st century. It has been used in everything from Olympic highlights to Rihanna samples. Why? Because it builds tension without ever needing to explode. Jamie understood that what you don't play is just as important as what you do. He used a MPC sampler like an instrument, tapping out those skeletal rhythms that felt more like a pulse than a drum kit.
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The production on their self-titled debut was so influential that it basically birthed a whole genre of "PBR&B" and moody pop. You can hear the echoes of The xx in Lorde’s early work, in Halsey, and even in the more stripped-back moments of Taylor Swift’s Folklore era. They made it cool to be quiet again.
The Transition to "I See You" and Beyond
A lot of bands get stuck. They find a "sound" and they milk it until it’s dry. By the time they got to their second album, Coexist, some critics were saying they were becoming a parody of themselves. It was even more minimal, even more hushed. It felt like they were shrinking.
Then everything changed.
Jamie xx released In Colour in 2015. It was a masterpiece of vibrant, kaleidoscopic dance music. It was loud! It was colorful! It had steel pans! People wondered if the band was over. Instead, Jamie brought that energy back to the group for their third album, I See You.
If the first album was a dark bedroom, I See You was the sun coming through the window. They started using horns. They sampled Hall & Oates. "On Hold" is a straight-up dance-pop song, but it still retains that signature xx melancholy. It proved they weren't just a "vibe" band. They were actual songwriters who could adapt.
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The Solo Era: A Temporary Goodbye?
Right now, the members of The xx are off doing their own things, and honestly, they're killing it.
- Romy released Mid Air, a love letter to queer club culture that is basically the opposite of "hushed." It’s euphoric.
- Oliver Sim gave us Hideous Bastard, a deeply personal, theatrical album where he finally spoke openly about living with HIV since his teens. It’s brave and sonically weird in the best way.
- Jamie xx continues to be the DJ every other DJ wants to be, recently dropping In Waves, which further cements his status as a production genius.
Does this mean the band is dead? Unlikely. They still talk about each other as family. They still show up on each other's tracks. The hiatus feels more like a necessary expansion than a breakup. They needed to find out who they were as individuals after being a "unit" since they were kids.
What People Get Wrong About the "Depressing" Label
There is a common misconception that The xx is "sad music." I’d argue it’s actually the opposite. It’s comforting music.
When you’re feeling isolated, listening to something loud and happy feels like an insult. But listening to Angels? It feels like someone is sitting in the room with you, acknowledging the weight of the world without trying to "fix" it. There’s a specific kind of British reserve in their lyrics—they don’t over-explain. They use simple metaphors. "Stars," "night," "shelter." It’s universal because it’s vague enough for you to project your own life onto it.
How to Truly Appreciate Their Discography
If you’re coming to them late, or if you only know "Intro," you’re missing the evolution. You have to listen to the albums as complete pieces. They aren't "singles" artists, even if they have hits.
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- Start with the debut on a rainy night. Turn off the lights. Use good headphones. Notice how the bass in "Fantasy" vibrates in your chest.
- Move to "I See You" for the technical growth. Pay attention to "Replica." It’s one of their most underrated songs, dealing with the fear of becoming your parents. The production is sleek, but the lyrics are raw.
- Check the live versions. For a band that started out looking like they wanted to hide behind their instruments, they became a powerhouse live act. Their Glastonbury sets are legendary for how they turn these tiny, fragile songs into massive, stadium-filling anthems.
The Legacy of the "X"
They showed a whole generation of bedroom producers that you don't need a million-dollar studio to make a classic. You just need an idea and the courage to leave some empty space. In a world that is increasingly loud, cluttered, and desperate for your attention, the restraint of The xx feels more radical than ever.
They didn't shout. They didn't trend-chase. They just stayed in their lane, wore their black outfits, and made music that feels like a warm coat.
If you want to understand modern indie-pop, you have to start here. You have to look at how they bridged the gap between the guitar world and the electronic world. They made it okay for "indie" kids to like house music and for "rave" kids to appreciate a delicate guitar melody.
Actionable Listening Steps
To get the most out of your deep dive into the band, follow this path:
- Audit the B-Sides: Don't sleep on tracks like "Hot Like Fire" (their Aaliyah cover) or "In_Fiction." They show their influences more clearly than the album tracks.
- Follow the Remixes: Jamie xx’s "Re-work" of Coexist and his remix of "On Hold" provide a bridge between the band's minimalist roots and his solo dancefloor energy.
- Watch the Night + Day Documentaries: These short films about their curated festivals show the community they built around their aesthetic. It wasn't just music; it was a curated world of film, art, and nightlife.
- Listen to Romy and Oliver’s solo albums back-to-back: You’ll hear the two halves of the "xx sound" split apart. Romy is the heart/melody; Oliver is the grit/tension. When you hear them separately, you realize why they are so vital when they come together.
The xx taught us that quiet isn't weakness. Sometimes, the softest voice in the room is the one that says the most. Whether they return for a fourth album in 2026 or continue on their solo paths, their influence is already baked into the walls of modern music. They changed the way we listen to silence.