Song · Phoenix
“Trying to be Cool” by Phoenix
“Trying to be Cool” by Phoenix appears on 15 radio countdowns from 14 stations between 2013 and 2025. Its best result is #19 on the CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2013. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #45 alternative song of 2013, #6,515 alternative song of all time and #460 of the '10s.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Creators). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Trying to Be Cool" was the second single from Bankrupt!, the fifth album by French band Phoenix, released on 8 July 2013, and frontman Thomas Mars told Spin its lyrics are mostly a study of the beauty in fakery. The sleeve shows a mint julep, a drink that turns up in the words.
It became the band's third top-ten hit on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, after "1901" and "Lisztomania". The video, directed by Nicolás Méndez under the name CANADA, hit YouTube a few days before the single and packs a surprise into every 20 seconds. It uses a version heavier on guitar and lighter on synthesizer than the album cut, run together with "Drakkar Noir", and that medley has become the way Phoenix play the song in concert.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 49 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 50 Songs of 2013 | 50 |
| 2013 | 36 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 2013 | 91 |
| 2013 | 19 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2013 | 103 |
| 2013 | 59 | The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC | The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2013 | 99 |
| 2013 | 81 | WFUV New York, NY | WFUV Top 90 Songs of 2013 | 90 |
| 2013 | 43 | WXPN Philadelphia, PA | WXPN Year in Review: Top 200 Songs of 2013 | 200 |
| 2013 | 47 | 94.5 The Buzz Houston, TX | 94.5 The Buzz Top 94 of 2013 | 94 |
| 2013 | 55 | Lightning 100 Nashville, TN | Lightning 100 Top 100.1 Songs of 2013 | 101 |
| 2013 | 24 | 94.3 WCYY Portland, ME | WCYY Year End Top 50 of 2013 | 50 |
| 2013 | 67 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2013 | 103 |
| 2013 | 82 | The Current Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | The Current Top 89 Songs of 2013 | 89 |
| 2013 | 97 | 107.1 The Peak Westchester County, NY | WXPK Top 107 Songs of 2013 | 107 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1610 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
| 2022 | 1398 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 | 603 |
| 2025 | 538 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century | 909 |
Also listed as: Trying to Be Cool; Trying To Be Cool; Trying To be Cool.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Trying to be Cool" by Phoenix.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.