"Let Them Know" | ||||
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Single by Mabel | ||||
from the album About Last Night... | ||||
Released | 18 June 2021 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:28 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Mabel singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Let Them Know" on YouTube |
"Let Them Know" is a song by English singer Mabel. It was released by Polydor Records on 18 June 2021 as the lead single from her second studio album About Last Night... (2022).[1] The song was written by Mabel, Raye, MNEK, and its producer SG Lewis. It was a top 40 hit in Mabel's home country of the United Kingdom as well as five additional European countries.
"Let Them Know" is an uptempo, dance-pop, synth-pop and 1980s-style disco song with dancehall undertones.[2][3][4][5] It is 2 minutes and 28 seconds long,[6] and has a 1990s house rhythm reminiscent of RuPaul's 1992 song "Supermodel (You Better Work)".[7]
Inspired by obsessively watching 1990 film Paris Is Burning, and American television series Pose and RuPaul's Drag Race, Mabel wrote the track as a reflection on dance music's generational themes of expression, liberation and inclusion.[8] According to the singer, "Let Them Know" is "dedicated to anyone who's ever felt scared to truly be themselves."[9] The lyrics include a reference to Doja Cat and her 2020 song "Say So".[7][5]
Mabel first teased the single's release on 9 June 2021 with a 30-second teaser trailer titled "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself".[10] The clip shows the singer performing and filming a music video, and ends with a preview of "Let Them Know".[11] On 10 June, she shared the release date, cover art and a link to pre-save the single on streaming services.[12][10] The official TikTok audio was released on 12 June. Within a week, more than 52,000 videos were uploaded under the audio by users of the social networking service.[2]
"Let Them Know" was released by Polydor Records on 18 June.[6] It was promoted with its own lens filter on Instagram and Snapchat,[13][14] and added it to rotation by British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and Capital FM the same day.[15][16] A remix by English DJ Riton was released on 9 July.[17]
In his review for The Sunday Times, Dan Cairns likened the track to music by the Spice Girls, describing it as "sassy, savvy, precision-tooled pop perfection".[18] Isaac Chiew of NME regarded the "bombastic floor-filler" as a welcome comeback from Mabel, complimenting its disco production and "anthemic" chorus.[19] Clash reviewer Robin Murray called it "an unashamed addition to the pop banger canon."[20] The Guardian's Luke Holland viewed the song as "wholly edgeless yet undeniably enjoyable glitter-pop" and "daft fun in all the ways pop should be".[21]
"Let Them Know" debuted at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 10,368 units.[22] It has since ascended to a new peak of number 19 on the chart dated August 26, 2021. In Ireland, the song entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 48; it has peaked at number 19.
The music video for "Let Them Know" was directed by Isaac Rentz.[23] A 25-second teaser trailer was shared on Mabel's YouTube channel on 16 June 2021.[24] The music video live premiered on YouTube at 8 a.m. BST on 18 June, preceded by a live chat with the singer.[25][26] A behind the scenes segment was released by MTV UK on 28 June.[27]
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Croatia (HRT)[28] | 21 |
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[29] | 4 |
Hungary (Single Top 40)[30] | 28 |
Ireland (IRMA)[31] | 19 |
Latvia (EHR)[32] | 32 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[33] | 1 |
Netherlands (Single Tip)[34] | 11 |
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[35] | 46 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[36] | 12 |
UK Singles (OCC)[37] | 19 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Various | 18 June 2021 | Original | Polydor | [12] | |
Italy | Contemporary hit radio | Universal | [39] | ||
Russia | 27 June 2021 | [40] | |||
Various | 9 July 2021 |
|
Riton Remix | Polydor | [17] |