The “brat summer” doesn’t stop. In fact, with Guess, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish take it to another level. Guess is one of the songs from the new album by Charli – Brat, which kicked off the trend – and the version with Billie has caused a stir in just a few days: an unexpected collaboration between the two singers that has unleashed fan euphoria.
After releasing the album Brat on June 7, Charli XCX released remixes of some songs in collaboration with other artists (as the original album is devoid of features). Thus came Von Dutch with Skream and Benga, 360 with Robyn and Yung Lean, Girl, so confusing with Lorde, and finally Guess with Billie Eilish.
Below is the lyrics, the translation, and the meaning of Guess by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.
Listen and watch the video of Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish
Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish: the lyrics of the song
[Charli XCX]
Hey, Billie, you there?
Uh-uh
You wanna guess the colour of my underwear
You wanna know what I got goin’ on down there
Is it pretty in pink or all see-through?
Is it showin’ off my brand-new lower-back tattoo?
You wanna put ’em in your mouth, pull ’em all down south
You wanna turn this shit out, that’s what I’m talkin’ about
Pu-pu-pu-put ’em in your mouth, pull ’em all down south
You wanna turn this shit out, that’s what l’m talkin’ about (Yeah)
Try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Wear ’em, post ’em, might remix it
Send ’em to The Dare, yeah, I think he’s with it
Try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Wear ’em, post ’em, might remix it
Eat it up for lunch, yeah, it’s so delicious
(Work it out)
[Billie Eilish]
Don’t have to guess the color of your underwear
Already know what you’ve got goin’ on down there
It’s that lacy black pair with the little bows
The ones I picked out for you in Tokyo
I saw them when you sat down, they were peekin’ out
I’m gonna tell you right now, they’re all I’m thinkin’ about
I wanna try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Kiss it, ride it, can I fit it?
Charli likes boys, but she knows I’d hit it
(Knows I’d hit it)
Charli, call me if you’re with it
[Charli XCX, Billie Eilish]
Yeah, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
You wanna guess what me and Billie have been textin’ about? (We’ve been disrespectful)
Still tryin’ to guess the password to my Google Drive (Are you obsessed with me?)
You wanna guess the address of the party we’re at (You know you’re not invited)
You wanna guess if we’re serious about this song
Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish: the translation
This is the translation of Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish:
[Charli XCX]
Hey, Billie, you there?
Uh-uh
You wanna guess the color of my underwear
You wanna know what I got going on down there
Is it pink and pretty or all see-through?
Is it showing off my new lower back tattoo?
You wanna put them in your mouth, pull them all down south
You wanna turn this thing out, that’s exactly what I want
Pu-pu-pu-put them in your mouth, pull them all down south
You wanna turn this thing out, that’s exactly what I want (Yeah)
Try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Wear them, post them, might remix it
Send them to “The Dare”, yeah, I think he’s with it
Try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Wear them, post them, might remix it
Eat it up for lunch, yeah, it’s so delicious
(Work it out)
[Billie Eilish]
Don’t have to guess the color of your underwear
Already know what you’ve got going on down there
It’s that lacy black pair with the little bows
The ones I picked out for you in Tokyo
I saw them when you sat down, they were peeking out
I’m gonna tell you right now, they’re all I’m thinking about
I wanna try it, bite it, lick it, spit it
Pull it to the side and get all up in it
Kiss it, ride it, can I fit it?
Charli likes boys, but she knows I’d hit it
(She knows I’d hit it)
Charli, call me if you’re with it
[Charli XCX, Billie Eilish]
Yeah, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
Guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess, guess
You wanna guess what me and Billie have been messaging about? (We’ve been disrespectful)
Still trying to guess the password to my Google Drive (Are you obsessed with me?)
You wanna guess the address of the party we’re at? (You know you’re not invited)
You wanna guess if we’re serious about this song
Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish: the meaning of Charli’s verses
Guess is the title of the song by Charli XCX from the album Brat and released as a remix featuring Billie Eilish. The lyrics of the song are an explosive mix and the meaning is an imaginary dialogue oscillating between seductive and ironic, playing with sexuality and the public’s perception.
The song opens with Charli asking, “Billie, you there?”. A slight interference in the background suggests it could be a phone call: Guess would thus be a phone or chat dialogue between the two singers, playing with a sexual provocation. Charli XCX indeed asks Billie if she wants to guess the color of her underwear.
The pink underwear is a reference to what Charli wore on the cover of the single 360, also taken from the album Brat. The reference to the lower back tattoo may point to the club culture of the early 2000s, which inspired the singer, during which these types of tattoos were particularly fashionable.
The club culture provides the backdrop and meaning for the entire aesthetic adopted by Charli XCX for the album and for Guess with Billie Eilish, so much so that the chorus is a sample of the iconic Technologic by Daft Punk – among the symbols of this musical genre and one of the most recognizable sounds.
At the end of the chorus, Charli sings, “Eat it up for lunch, yeah, it’s so delicious.” In fact, in the original version of the song, she repeats the line “Send them to ‘The Dare’, yeah, I think he’s with it,” where The Dare is the song’s producer. However, in the remix, the lyrics change to reference Lunch, one of the singles taken from Billie Eilish’s new album that she starts singing shortly after.
Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish: the meaning of Billie’s verses
In her verses, as can be understood from the translation, Billie Eilish responds to the initial question from Charli XCX, stating that she doesn’t need to guess what color her underwear is and, in her part of the chorus, arrives at the line that has gone viral on social media, featured in multiple videos where fans and users share their reactions:
Charli likes boys, but she knows I’d hit it
(She knows I’d hit it)
Charli, call me if you’re with it
The theme of Billie Eilish’s sexuality has always been subject to speculation from the public, since her first album with the song Wish You Were Gay. However, only with the release of her latest album did the singer state in an interview with Rolling Stone that she only likes women, without wanting to use labels.
Her single Lunch actually speaks of a strong sexual charge towards a girl and with the lines in Guess for Charli XCX, Billie Eilish seems determined to play openly with her sexuality.
It is only in the final part of the song, however, that the true meaning of Guess by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish comes to light. Alongside seductive provocations, the two singers choose to humorously mock the public’s obsession with their private lives.
In the outro, Charli and Billie openly challenge the audience to “guess” what they are referring to, deliberately keeping the details ambiguous. This attitude seems to be a clear attack on “stan culture” and the obsessiveness often associated with artists.
The song indeed closes with yet another ironic allusion to how speculation about a possible relationship between the two will inevitably arise, given the provocative nature of the song and the sexual undertones of the lyrics.
In the final verses, Charli XCX also attacks everyone trying to “leak” her music – that is, illegally publish songs before their release by hacking her Google Drive, as has happened in the past – and references her stalkers.
“You wanna guess the address of the party we’re at?” is likely a reference to stalkers trying to figure out where the singer is located. In 2020, for instance, a naked stalker entered Charli’s home and used her hot tub. In response, the singer filed a restraining order against the man.