[1][2][3][4] "New Shapes" was written by Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, Caroline Polachek, Noonie Bao, Linus Wiklund and Deaton Chris Anthony, with the latter two also handling the production duties.

[6] The track was released on 4 November 2021, with Charli XCX simultaneously announcing the title and cover of her album Crash, as well as the 2022 concert tour.

[8] It begins with Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens participating in an imaginary TV Heaven chat show, hosted by Benito Skinner, before teaming up to perform the song on stage.

[9] Pitchfork's Vrinda Jagota described the song in a positive review as having "towering swells of '80s production", stating that it "combines the euphoria of a Patrick Swayze dance number with the crushing depth of a Fleabag monologue: a celebration of a love too radioactive to last.

"[5] Clash's Ana Lamond said that the song "takes an alternative route to empowerment, with a laser focused hook [...] seeing the hyper-pop connoisseurs rise above the manipulative relationships they find themselves haunted by.