{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox song | name = Trying to Be Cool | cover = Phoenix - Trying to Be Cool.jpg | alt = | border = yes | type = single | artist = [[Phoenix (French band)|Phoenix]] | album = [[Bankrupt!]] | released = 9 July 2013<ref name=nme/> | recorded = 2011–2012 | studio = | genre = <!-- Please source genres --> * [[Synth-pop]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reilly |first=Dan |date=14 August 2013 |title=R. Kelly and Phoenix Holler at Honeys on 'Trying to Be Cool' Remix |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/08/r-kelly-phoenix-trying-to-be-cool-remix-stream/ |access-date=30 March 2025 |website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]}}</ref> * [[disco]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chinen |first=Nate |date=22 April 2013 |title=New Albums from Phoenix and Boney James |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/arts/music/bankrupt-by-phoenix-and-the-beat-by-boney-james.html |access-date=30 March 2025 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> | length = 3:48 (album version)<br />3:33 (radio edit) | label = * Loyauté * [[Glassnote Records|Glassnote]] * [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] | writer = * [[Thomas Mars|Thomas Pablo Croquet]] * Christian Mazzalai * [[Laurent Brancowitz|Laurent Mazzalai]] * Frederic Moulin | producer = Phoenix | prev_title = [[Entertainment (song)|Entertainment]] | prev_year = 2013 | next_title = S.O.S. in Bel Air | next_year = 2013 }}
"'''Trying to Be Cool'''" is a song by the French band [[Phoenix (French band)|Phoenix]] from their fifth album ''[[Bankrupt!]]''. It was released as the second single from the album on 8 July 2013.<ref name=nme>{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Levine|title=Phoenix – 'Trying To Be Cool' |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/phoenix/14575 |work=[[NME]] |date=2013-07-05 |access-date=2013-07-27}}</ref> The official remix features [[R. Kelly]]. The song became Phoenix's third top-ten hit on the ''Billboard'' [[Alternative Songs]] chart, after "1901" and "Lisztomania". The song's cover includes a [[mint julep]], which is said in one of the song's lines, "mint julep testosterone". Frontman Thomas Mars told ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine the lyrics to "Trying to Be Cool" mainly analyse "the beauty of the fake".
==Music video== [https://canadacanada.com/ The] single's [[music video]], which was directed by Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA<ref>{{cite web|title=Phoenix's 'Trying to Be Cool'-'Drakkar Noir' Video Overflows With Creativity|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/07/phoenix-trying-to-be-cool-drakkar-noir-bankrupt-video/|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|access-date=7 July 2013|author=Marc Hogan|date=2 July 2013}}</ref> and produced by the homonymous production company, [https://canadacanada.com/ CANADA], and The Creators Project, was released on YouTube on 2 July 2013.<ref name=huff>{{cite news|title=Phoenix's 'Trying To Be Cool' Video Debuts Off Of 'Bankrupt!' |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/02/phoneix-trying-to-be-cool-video-bankrupt_n_3533746.html |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=2 July 2013 |access-date=27 July 2013}}</ref> The music video includes a "surprise" made every 20 seconds.
The version of the song used in the music video is more guitar-driven and less synthesizer-driven than the album version. In addition, the video version is a medley with "Drakkar Noir". This combination has become the typical live-performance of the song for Phoenix's concerts.
== R. Kelly remix == During Phoenix's headlining set at [[Coachella (festival)|Coachella]] on 13 April 2013, the band brought out American R&B singer [[R. Kelly]] to perform multiple songs together.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Herrera |first1=Monica |last2=Diehl |first2=Matt |date=2013-04-14 |title=Phoenix Bring Out R. Kelly for Coachella Headlining Set |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/coachella-2013-phoenix-bring-out-r-kelly-for-triumphant-headlining-set-189799/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> Kelly was unfamiliar with Phoenix's music beforehand, but Phoenix sent Kelly's manager their plans to mash-up the two artists' songs. In a ''Pitchfork'' interview, both parties confirmed that they had a studio collaboration in the works.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dombal |first=Ryan |date=2013-08-21 |title=R. Kelly and Phoenix |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/update/9199-r-kelly-and-phoenix/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> The "Trying to Be Cool" remix with R. Kelly was released on 14 August 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Minsker |first=Evan |date=2013-08-14 |title=Listen: R. Kelly and Phoenix: "Trying to Be Cool" (Remix) |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/51898-listen-r-kelly-and-phoenix-trying-to-be-cool-remix/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2014, when ''[[The Guardian]]'' asked Phoenix frontman [[Thomas Mars]] about the moral implications of working with Kelly given his [[R. Kelly#Child sexual abuse and court cases|child sexual abuse accusations]], Mars said: {{Pullquote | quote = I thought people would care less, to be honest. Because his case was filed and he wasn't guilty. It felt to us like that was done and he was moving on and so it wasn't in bad taste. It felt like a second chance, not that we gave him that, but it felt like something else. I was more worried about him being on time to be honest. He doesn't fly and so his tourbus took five days to get from Chicago to Palm Springs. When we went on stage he was still stuck in traffic.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/30/phoenix-thomas-mars-sos-in-bel-air-interview | title=Phoenix's Thomas Mars: 'I'm starting to like the funky Seinfeld slap bass' | newspaper=The Guardian | date=30 January 2014 | last1=Jonze | first1=Tim }}</ref> }} Following renewed media attention about Kelly's alleged crimes as a result of the ''[[Surviving R. Kelly]]'' documentary, the band apologised on Twitter for collaborating with Kelly.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=2019-01-10 |title=Phoenix Apologize for Working With R. Kelly: 'We are Deeply Horrified By the Stories of Abuse' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phoenix-apologize-for-working-with-r-kelly-we-are-deeply-horrified-by-the-stories-of-abuse-777409/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> {{Pullquote | quote = We are deeply horrified by the stories of abuse surrounding R. Kelly.<br> We regret that we were not both more informed and more discerning when we worked with him previously. We fully support all victims of sexual abuse, and it's our hope that there will be a path to justice. }}
==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Weekly chart performance for "Trying to Be Cool" ! Chart (2013) ! Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|Wallonia Tip|20|artist=Phoenix|song=Trying To Be Cool|rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2021}} |- ! scope="row"| Canada Rock Songs (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'') | 29 |- ! scope="row"| US [[Hot Rock Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'') | 31 |- ! scope="row"| US [[Rock Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'') | 16 |}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Year-end chart performance for "Trying to Be Cool" ! Chart (2013) ! Position |- ! scope="row"| US Alternative Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2013/hot-alternative-songs?page=1 |title=Alternative Songs: Year End 2013 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref> | 30 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Phoenix}}
[[Category:Phoenix (French band) songs]] [[Category:2013 singles]] [[Category:V2 Records singles]] [[Category:2013 songs]] [[Category:Songs written by Thomas Mars]] [[Category:Songs written by Laurent Brancowitz]]