Frontman Thomas Mars told Spin magazine the lyrics to "Trying to Be Cool" mainly analyse "the beauty of the fake".

The single's music video, which was directed by Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA[2] and produced by the homonymous production company, CANADA, and The Creators Project, was released on YouTube on 2 July 2013.

During Phoenix's headlining set at Coachella on 13 April 2013, the band brought out American R&B singer R. Kelly to perform multiple songs together.

[6] In 2014, when The Guardian asked Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars about the moral implications of working with Kelly given his child sexual abuse accusations, Mars said: I thought people would care less, to be honest.

We fully support all victims of sexual abuse, and it's our hope that there will be a path to justice.This 2013 single-related article is a stub.