| "Kill Em with Kindness" | ||||
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| Single by Selena Gomez | ||||
| from the album Revival | ||||
| Released | May 3, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Studio | Rock Mafia Studios (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:37 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
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| Producer(s) | ||||
| Selena Gomez singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Kill Em with Kindness" on YouTube | ||||
"Kill Em with Kindness" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio on May 3, 2016, through Interscope Records as the fourth and final single from her second studio album Revival (2015). The song was written by Gomez and producers Rock Mafia, Benny Blanco and Dave Audé, while R3drum contributed additional production. "Kill Em with Kindness" is a tropical house song with an electronic production.
Lyrically, the track gives advice for dealing with critics and revolves around the theme of magnanimity. It was inspired by the body-shaming Gomez endured from media outlets and social media when pictures of her on a beach in Mexico surfaced online. "Kill Em with Kindness" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics, who highlighted its positive themes, sleek production, and hook, though some felt it lacked originality. It performed moderately well on international music charts; reaching number one in Poland, top ten in Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, and top twenty in Argentina, Canada, Finland, Latvia, Lebanon, Slovakia, and Switzerland. In the United States, it peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The accompanying music video was directed by Emil Nava and released on June 6, 2016. The black and white clip follows Gomez around a sprawling mansion during multiple photo shoots, dressed only in a corset and underwear, while shots of choreographed interpretive dancers, falling bullets, and blood-dripped flowers are interspersed throughout. The video was well received by critics, who praised its "artful" direction and intimate feel. To promote "Kill Em with Kindness", Gomez performed the song live for several venues including the Jingle Ball Tour 2015, and was included as part of her Revival Tour set list.