Cruising

"Cruising" is a song by British recording artist Alesha. The song was written and produced by Alesha for her tenth studio album afterhours (2015). "Cruising" was released as the fifth and final single from the album by Fusion Records on April 25, 2016, due to a positive fan response. It was also released to coincide with Alesha's Cruising World Tour, which kicked off on December 31, 2015 and continued through June 2016.

The song is built around a sample from the Pet Shop Boys song "Being Boring" (1990). Lyrically, the song actually is about the act of cruising for sex – walking or driving about a locality in search of casual sex. Alesha said, "I wanted to paint it in a more beautiful light." Unlike songs like "M4M", "Cruising" is less brazen in its sexuality. Contemporary critics appreciated the song, calling it fluid in nature and a wonderful synthpop track.

Background and composition
"Cruising" is one of a handful of tracks written in the earliest sessions for Alesha's tenth studio album afterhours (2015). "In Love Today" was written as early as April 2014 (even ahead of the release of Alesha's previous studio album). "M4M", "Keeping Me Alive", "Repressed" and "Cruising" were written in June. As with "In Love Today", Alesha was inspired by British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys while writing and producing "Cruising". The song contains a sample of their 1990 single "Being Boring", which has become one of their signature songs to perform.

Lyrically, "Crusing" discusses the act of cruising for sex. Cruising is walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety. The term is also used when technology is used to find casual sex, such as using an Internet site or smartphone app. "A lot of people see promiscuity and things like cruising as lewd or immoral and I wanted to paint it in a more beautiful light," Alesha said. According to Alesha, she wanted to capture the complicated feelings that drive a person to seek such casual encounters. In the chorus, Alesha sings, "We color in lines in seclusion / We've had our whole lives to grow disillusioned / Underneath street lamps we're cruising."

Reception
David Browne from Entertainment Weekly said that it was fluid in nature and called Alesha a "restless soul aching to connect" in the song. Jason Shawhan from About.com also complimented the song by describing it as a "weird and wonderful number." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media wrote: "On 'Cruising', as synths ebb and flow moodily, Alesha asserts, 'We offend and transcend', over a tripping vocal melody." Joan Morgan of The Village Voice wrote: "Alesha offers up an irresistible manipulation of rather soft vocals laced over tinny percussion, twinkling synthesizers, and a few subtle soul-claps thrown in for good measure." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian admitted that the chorus of the song is triumphant.

Track listing and formats

 * CD / Digital EP
 * 1) "Cruising"