"Ctrl + Alt + Del" (stylised in all caps) is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Rêve. It was released on September 17, 2021 through Universal Music Canada and 31 East. It is included on her debut studio album, Saturn Return (2023).
Background and development The song was written with Banx & Ranx during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rêve has said that after a period of writing more serious music, she and her collaborators wanted to write "something silly and goofy and fun", and that the song is a tribute to missing live music and dancing during lockdown.
The track was featured in the video game FIFA 22. It was also used as a lip-sync track on the third season of Canada's Drag Race. Rêve later appeared as a guest judge on the fourth season in which her song "Tongue" was also used as a lip-sync track.
Reception Music magazine Nagamag praised the song, saying, "A funky hip nu-skool electro groove that captured our attention. It's clean and danceable, her voice is inspiring, and we loved the muffled out techno vocoder approach. This one will surely rock the dancefloors across the globe.".
Commercial performance "Ctrl + Alt + Del" was Rêve's first entry on the Canadian Hot 100, debuting at number 92 on the chart dated October 23, 2021, and later peaking at number 38. It spent 29 total weeks on the chart. The song additionally reached number 7 on the Canadian CHR/Top 40 chart and number 28 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.
In June 2023, it was certified Double Platinum by Music Canada for selling over 160,000 units in the country.
Awards "Ctrl + Alt + Del" won a Dance Music Award at the 2022 SOCAN Awards and Dance Recording of the Year at the 2023 Juno Awards. The song was additionally nominated for a Dance Award at the 2024 Hollywood Independent Music Awards. Year Award Category Result 2022 SOCAN Awards Dance Music Award 2023Juno Awards Dance Recording of the Year Jenna Benchetrit and Arti Patel, "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News, 11 March 2023.2024Hollywood Independent Music AwardsDance Award
Music video The music video was released alongside the single on September 17, 2021. Conceived by Anthony Hachez and directed by Adem Boutlidja, the video depicts a series of versions of Rêve caught in a continuous looping sequence inspired by the song's title. The clip features a surreal and futuristic aesthetic, with its visuals intended to reflect the song's 1990s-inspired sound.
Charts Chart (2021–2022)Peak positionCanada (Canadian Hot 100)38Canada AC (Billboard)28Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)7Canada Hot AC (Billboard)22
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