"Exes" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae, from her second studio album, Think Later (2023). It was released on November 17, 2023, through RCA Records as the second and final single from the album. The song reached the top 10 in Canada, as well as number 23 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. It is certified Gold or higher in eleven countries.
Background and composition "Exes" was the last song written for Think Later. While McRae was creating the track list for the album with Ryan Tedder, he suggested that they write a song together with Spry in 30 minutes. The result of their session was "Exes", which was "fully produced and vocal tracked" in 90 minutes. The song was then selected as the next single from the album. McRae described the process as "the most Think Later thing we could ever have done". "Exes" has been described as a pop, R&B, and trap song.
Promotion On November 14, 2023, McRae confirmed the release of "Exes" on her Instagram and TikTok. The announcement post on Instagram was captioned with the lyric "kisses to my xx", while she had previously teased the song in a TikTok video a few days prior.
McRae performed "Exes" on the December 12, 2023, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She also included "Exes" in her sets at the 2023 edition of the Jingle Bell Ball and the 2024 edition of the NHL All-Star Game.
Music video The music video was filmed seven days after the song was written. It was directed by Aerin Moreno and choreographed by Sean Bankhead. Inspired by artists such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, McRae wanted choreography to have a prominent role in the video. It shows her dancing with a group of female backup dancers in a run-down rodeo. McRae revealed in an interview with W that during the video shoot, she had an allergic reaction because of the usage of hay stacks used in the background.
Accolades +Awards and nominations for "Exes"OrganizationYearCategoryResult Juno Award 2025 Single of the Year
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "Exes" Chart (2023–2024) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 15 Denmark (Tracklisten) 32 Greece International (IFPI) 16 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 20 Lithuania (AGATA) 40 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 14 Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100) 91 Norway (VG-lista) 12 Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) 81 Singapore (RIAS) 21 South Africa (TOSAC) 55 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 27
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for "Exes" Chart (2024) Position Australia (ARIA) 59 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 47 Global 200 (Billboard) 173 US Billboard Hot 100 93 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 33
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Exes" Region Date Format Version Label Various November 17, 2023 Original RCA United States November 28, 2023 Contemporary hit radio Various February 2, 2024 Regard remix Italy March 1, 2024 Radio airplay Original Sony Italy Various March 8, 2024 Syn Cole remix RCA
References