Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?

The song Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? by Arctic Monkeys dives into a sound that evokes the night, with rhythms reminiscent of West Coast G-funk, hip hop influences, and a foundation of blues rock and funk rock. It is described with "broken beats" and a bassline that invites movement, creating a seductive atmosphere. Critics noted how the composition, with its slow and impactful rhythms, along with Alex Turner's rhymes, evoked the urgency of a late-night call, with the title serving as a direct response to that situation. The production, handled by James Ford, is perceived as something that fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the album AM, a record conceived for the early hours of the morning.

This track was released as the third single from Arctic Monkeys' fifth studio album, AM, on August 11, 2013. The main songwriting is attributed to Alex Turner, while the production was managed by James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton in studios in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California. The album AM, released on September 6, 2013, explored a wide range of genres, including R&B and funk, marking an foray into hip hop-influenced sounds. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? debuted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their first single to reach the top 10 since Fluorescent Adolescent in 2007. The track also charted in Belgium, Japan, Canada, and France, in addition to appearing on the US Rock and Alternative charts. By August 2023, the song had surpassed 1.68 billion streams on Spotify.