Wild Things

Wild Things
General information
Artist	Alessia Cara
Release date	October 27, 2015
Recorded	December 12, 2014
Genre	Pop
Length	3:08
Album	Know-It-All
Label	Def Jam
Songwriter(s)	Alessia Cara, Coleridge Tillman, Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye, James Ho
Producer(s)	Malay
Singles chronology
← Previous	"Here"
Current	"Wild Things"
Next →	"WILD"
Know-It-All chronology
"Four Pink Walls"
"Wild Things"
"Stone"
Music video

"Wild Things" is the sixth track and second single from Alessia Cara's debut studio album, Know-It-All. It was released to digital retailers on October 27, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single before being sent to contemporary hit radio on February 2, 2016. The song was written by Alessia Cara, Coleridge Tillman, Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye, and James Ho, and was produced by the latter. Official remixes were commissioned in the spring of 2016 and were released on an extended play on May 13, 2016, one of which features a guest verse from American rapper G-Eazy.

Since its release, "Wild Things" has charted at number fifty on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has also attained top-forty peaks in multiple territories including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In Cara's native Canada, the song peaked at number 14, five positions higher than her highly successful debut, "Here". The song has been certified Gold by ARIA and RIAA while being certified Platinum by RMNZ.

Background and Release

Alessia wrote this song about knowing that you don't need to be the cool one or the popular to feel good about yourself and you can make your own place. It was officially released as the second single from the album on February 2, 2016.

Lyrics

Find table space to say your social graces
Bow your head, they're pious here, but you and I, we're pioneers
We make our own rules, our own room, no bias here
Let 'em sell what they are sellin', there are no buyers here
So gather all the rebels now, we'll rebel rouse and sing aloud
We don't care what they say no way, no way
And we will leave the empty chairs to those who say we can't sit there
We're fine all by ourselves

So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin', we make our breaks, if you don't like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies
We have no apologies for being...

Find me where the wild things are
We'll be alright, don't mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We'll be just fine, don't mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are

I lose my balance on these eggshells you tell me to tread
I'd rather be a wild one instead
Don't wanna hang around the in crowd, the cool kids
I'm cool to me, cause they're not cooler than we are

So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin', we make our breaks, if you don't like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies
We have no apologies for being...

Find me where the wild things are
We'll be alright, don't mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We'll be just fine, don't mind us, yeah

We will carve our place into time and space
We will find our way, or we'll make a way, say hey, hey
Hey find your grace, don't you hide your face
And let it shine, shine, shine

So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin', we make our breaks, if you don't like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies
We have no apologies for being...

Find me where the wild things are
We'll be alright, don't mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We'll be just fine, don't mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Wild Things" was directed by Aaron A and premiered on March 7, 2016. Opening with a monologue in which Cara describes what "wild" means to her in the song, the video features Cara (she blow the pink smoke out of her ears) and her friends exploring the suburbs of Toronto and engaging in carefree activities such as drawing fake tattoos on one another and setting off fireworks on a beach. "To me," Cara says during the video's introductory sequence, "Where The Wild Things Are is a place that exists in our minds. It's a place of liberty and shamelessness. It can take a split second or a lifetime to find it, but once you do, you'll be free." The video was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.

Chart Performance

The song peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well reaching #25, #14, and #63 on the Australian singles chart, the Canadian Hot 100, and the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Mike Wass of Idolator called it "Another fiery celebration of outsiders." Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos labeled it "anthemic" and a "celebration of youth", saying "[Wild Things] follows in the vein of the anti-cool kid stance on 'Here.' Unlike her debut single, however, Cara goes for more straight-up pop on the more fast-paced, percussive tune." Jessie Morris of Complex stated that the song is "another infectious and insightful coming-of-age track."

Remixes

Four remixes were released on Cara's VEVO channel, with one being an alternate version of the song.

Alessia Cara - Wild Things (Audio) ft. G-Eazy

Alessia Cara - Wild Things (NuKid Remix Audio)

Alessia Cara - Wild Things (MK Remix Audio)

Alessia Cara - Wild Things (Young Bombs Remix Audio) ft. G-Eazy

Trivia

• The song came about after a conversation Alessia had with her A&R about the “you can’t sit with us” hats.

• The track has live drums, provided by the producer Malay. Alessia wrote the song with him in LA and she described it as “magical”