You should be sad

About this song

The song was released one week before Halsey's third studio album, Manic, and was offered to fans as a final single ahead of it. Halsey hinted in a tweet after release that the song was also about G-Eazy, and she explained the idea behind its music video as a take on a "before he cheats" concept, set after the cheating instead. The track's single release was first hinted at in November 2019 after it appeared on her Spotify, and it came after the December 2019 promotional singles "Finally // beautiful Stranger" and "Suga's Interlude."

What it's about

Over a country-influenced sound, Halsey vents her frustrations about a past relationship and takes some subtle shots at her ex's character. The song draws comparisons to her earlier single "Without Me", which dealt with an ex-boyfriend's infidelity.

Summary written with AI, based on the song's page on Genius.

Fun facts

• Covered once, including “You should be sad by KIDZ BOP Kids”.
• Written by Greg Kurstin and Halsey.
• Produced by Greg Kurstin.
• Recorded at Echo Studios (Los Angeles.