Wink Wink
2026 single by Charli XCX
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"Wink Wink" is a song by British singer and songwriter Charli XCX. It was released on 26 June 2026, under exclusive license to Atlantic Records, as the third single from her seventh studio album, Music, Fashion, Film. A pop rock, electropop, alternative rock, hyperpop, and pop song, Charli wrote the track along with Finn Keane, who produced it with A. G. Cook. It reached number 57 on the UK Singles Chart.
| "Wink Wink" | ||||
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| Single by Charli XCX | ||||
| from the album Music, Fashion, Film | ||||
| Released | 26 June 2026 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:03 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Charli XCX singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Wink Wink" on YouTube | ||||
Background and promotion
Following the releases of "Rock Music" and "SS26",[1] "Wink Wink" was released on 26 June 2026,[2] serving as the third single from Charli XCX's seventh studio album, Music, Fashion, Film. She described the track as "final piece in the Music, Fashion, Film rollout".[3] A week earlier of the song's release, Charli posted a caption "Something horny is coming" on her social media.[4]
Composition
"Wink Wink" was co-written by Finn Keane, who produced the song along with A. G. Cook; both also mixed it, executively producing the song with Charli. "Wink Wink" was mastered by Ruairi O'Flaherty.[2] An electropop,[5] hyperpop,[6] pop,[7] and pop-rock song, it is driven by a mid-tempo beat, clangy guitar riffs and searing synthesiser lines.[4] Although Charli denied that her Music, Fashion, Film was a rock album, "Wink Wink" draws on influences beyond dance music,[8] featuring its alt-rock sound.[9]
Opening with a spoken-word catalogue of provocative behaviour, "Wink Wink" adopts a tongue-in-cheek tone. Its chorus has Charli claiming she is "not a bad girl anymore", a statement immediately undermined by the closing "wink, wink".[4] The song adopts a lighter, more ironic tone than "SS26" and "Rock Music".[9]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Wink Wink" was directed by Aidan Zamiri, whose previous collaboration with Charli included an A24 mockumentary, The Moment (2026).[10] Opening with Charli lying in a field and eating berries beneath a cloudy sky, the video shows her writing in a diary while singing about having changed before she performs a series of household chores, including washing windows, doing laundry, and washing dishes. As the chorus begins, the scenes become increasingly suggestive by singing "Here's the truth, and I gotta be honest / I'm not a bad girl anymore, I promise."[3][11]
Critical reception
Stereogum's Chris DeVille and Tom Breihan described "Wink Wink" as a tongue-in-cheek song with sexually suggestive lyrics, interpreting its repeated insistence that Charli is "not a bad girl anymore" as contradicting the message that "people can change".[12] Bill Pearis of BrooklynVegan highlighted the song's "catchy chorus" and compared its structure and style to the French band the Teenagers's 2008 song "Homecoming".[13] Melodic Magazine author Georgia Knowlden described "Wink Wink" as a "playful detour" that builds anticipation for the album and compared it to Charli's "Guess" (2024) while calling them more "provocative".[6]
Personnel
Credits were adapted from Tidal.[2]
- Charlotte Aitchison – lead vocals, songwriter, executive producer
- Alexander Guy Cook – producer, executive producer, mixing
- Finn Keane – producer, songwriter, executive producer, mixing
- Ruairi O'Flaherty – mastering
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[14] | 67 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15] | 6 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[16] | 57 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[17] | 23 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 26 June 2026 | Atlantic | [2] | |
| Italy | 10 July 2026 | Radio airplay | Warner | [18] |