Sawayama said in a statement that "XS" is a song that "mocks capitalism in a sinking world": "Given that we all know global climate change is accelerating and human extinction is a very real possibility within our lifetime it seemed hilarious to me that brands were still coming out with new makeup palettes every month and public figures were doing a gigantic house tour of their gated property in Calabasas in the same week as doing a ‘sad about Australian wild fires’ Instagram post.

I wanted to reflect the chaos of this post-truth climate change denying world in the metal guitar stabs that flare up like an underlying zit between the 2000s R&B beat that reminds you of a time when everything was alright.

[3] The music video for "XS" was uploaded on YouTube on 17 April 2020, the same day as Sawayama's self-titled debut album was released.

[11] In the video, Sawayama portrays a "QVC-like" "robotic" saleswoman[12] who attends a shopping channel broadcast to promote a beverage named "RINA Water", which consists 99% of 24-karat gold and 1% of plasma.

While reviewing Sawayama's second album Hold the Girl, Cat Zhang of Pitchfork named "XS" her debut album's best song, commenting that "[the song] was intended as arch anti-capitalist critique in an age of climate crisis, but its luxe vision was a better sell for being the rich, not eating them; Sawayama whispered "excess" as if it were the name of a designer perfume, the scent of “more” intoxicating.