Chlöe’s Hit Song ‘Have Mercy’ Almost Had an Entirely Different Name
Chlöe Bailey is a musician in every sense of the word. So when it was time to release her debut solo single “Have Mercy,” she wanted to ensure everything about it was perfect — including the song’s name.
Chlöe released ‘Have Mercy’ as her debut single
Chlöe and Halle Bailey first rose to fame after being discovered by Beyoncé’s team for their covers they posted on YouTube. They released their debut album The Kids Are Alright in 2018 and their smash sophomore LP Ungodly Hour in 2020. They then embarked on their own solo careers, with Halle set to star in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Chlöe released her debut solo single “Have Mercy” in September 2021. The song was produced by prolific hip-hop producer Murda Beatz and contains a sample of TT the Artist and Uniiqu3’s song “Off the Chain.” It also features co-writing from Nija Charles, who has worked with artists including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande; Charles released her own debut EP Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You in 2022.
She released her follow-up single, “Treat Me,” in April 2022.
‘Have Mercy’ was almost called ‘5-4’
Chlöe performed “Have Mercy” at various awards shows, and the song quickly showed that she was an unapologetic artist ready for her own time in the spotlight. But before the song became the twerking anthem that it is today, it was more toned-down both musically and lyrically.
Chlöe gave fans a look inside the song’s creation in an episode of Genius’ Verified series.
“It was completely different,” she said of the track. “The song was originally called ‘5-4,’ but no, we changed it. We changed it completely, and that’s when I brought in Nija, maybe about a week or two later, and we rewrote the first verse to feel a bit more sexy.”
Chlöe is releasing her debut solo album in 2022
With two hit singles under her belt, Chlöe is gearing up for the release of her highly-anticipated solo debut album. She hasn’t revealed when the album will be out or even given a hint as to what the title may be, but knows it will be worth the wait.
Despite the strong image that she portrays with songs like “Have Mercy” and in her daily life, Chloe admitted that it’s hard for her to hype herself up. It’s an issue that came up while she was recording the album.
“I’m not the most confident person. Every day, I’m constantly thinking, ‘Oh, what’s wrong with me?’ So we’re all going through that. But I have to remind myself that it’s bigger than me,” she told In the Know. “Now I can easily say, ‘Oh yeah, they can talk about me. I’ll just put it in my songs again.’ You know? If no one ever said anything negative about me, I would have never made ‘Have Mercy.’ I would have never made half the records that are going to be on my album.”
