ABCDEFU

The song marks the first single release since the Nashville-based singer signed with Atlantic Records/Arthouse Records in 2021. On her TikTok account, Gayle uploaded a video where she stated "I'm out of [song] ideas" and asked followers to comment song ideas. She said, "Comment anything and I'll try my best to turn it into a song." Nancy Berman, a marketing manager at Atlantic Records, commented, asking for a song that incorporates the alphabet. Within a few days, Gayle uploaded another video of her strumming the chorus of the song. According to Gayle, the song "came from a place of trying so hard to be the nice, respectful ex-girlfriend, to the point where it was negatively affecting me". In an interview with Tongue Tied Mag, Gayle explained the inspiration behind the song: "After the breakup, I was trying really, really hard to be a nice person. Like overcompensating for it. Like the week after we broke up, I called him and was like, 'hey bud!' and 'what's up my friend?!'." On March 31, 2021, Gayle stated on Instagram that she had dislocated her middle finger, and the X-ray scan from the hospital was used for the single's cover art. The song achieved mainstream success within a few months after release, surpassing over 500 million global streams as of March 2022. Gayle has since released different versions of the song, including the demo, a "chill version", and an "angrier version". The original song reached 1 billion streams on July 9, 2023. == Music video ==

The accompanying music video was released alongside the single. The video was shot via a camcorder at a low resolution to evoke early 2000s home videos. In the music video, the singer and her friends visit and look around her ex's home. ==Composition==

According to the digital sheet music published at musicnotes.com by Warner Music Publishing, "ABCDEFU" is written in the key of E major with a tempo of 122 beats per minute, with Gayle's vocals ranging from G3 to C5. The song's title and lyrical content are a play on words incorporating the first six letters of the alphabet with the addition of the twenty-first, to form an initialism for the profane phrase "Fuck yoU". In the "angrier" version, Gayle sings in the hook "A-B-C-D-E fuck you" to represent its meaning. Sonically, the song is characterized by "minimalistic sonics" and "jagged guitar work", while it "reaches its climax with a massive sing-a-long chorus". ==Critical reception==

The song has been a viral hit on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Emily Zemler of Rolling Stone praised the passion of Gayle's live renditions of the piece. April Bredael of Tongue Tied Magazine thought the song "adds to a growing list of accomplishments" of the singer with tracks that are "authentic, honest, and unapologetic". ==Track listing==

Digital download and streaming (Nicer version) • "ABC"   – 2:48 Digital download and streaming (Demo version) • "ABCDEFU"   – 2:35 Digital download and streaming (Chill version) • "ABCDEFU"   – 2:56 Digital download and streaming (Angrier version) • "ABCDEFU"   – 2:39 Digital download and streaming (featuring Royal & the Serpent) • "ABCDEFU"   – 2:49 Digital download and streaming ABC (The Wild Remix) • "ABC"   – 3:02 ==Charts==

Weekly charts Monthly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==