You Should Be Sad

"You Should Be Sad"
Single by Halsey
from the album Manic
ReleasedJanuary 10, 2020 (2020-01-10)
Genre
Length3:25
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Kurstin
Halsey singles chronology
"Graveyard"
(2019) 		"You Should Be Sad"
(2020) 		"Experiment on Me"
(2020)
Music video
"You Should Be Sad" on YouTube

"You Should Be Sad" (stylized in sentence case)[1][2] is a song recorded by American singer Halsey. It was released on January 10, 2020, through Capitol Records as the third single from their third studio album, Manic (2020).[3][4][5] Halsey wrote the song with their producer Greg Kurstin. "You Should Be Sad" is a country pop ballad that features lyrics about a breakup and an unfaithful ex-lover.

Upon its release, the song was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising its lyrics. In the US, the song peaked at number twenty six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the album's second highest-charting single on the Hot 100. It entered the top ten in Australia and Ireland, while reaching the top 20 in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Scotland, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The music video for "You Should Be Sad" was directed by Colin Tilley. Premiering on January 10, 2020, the video depicts Halsey going to "an underground country western nightclub, where a lot of beautiful people are line-dancin". The video was met with mixed reviews.

Background

Halsey revealed that they wrote the song in their living room floor, as well in Nashville, and stated that "the most petty and heartbreaking songs all come from country".[6] When talking about the inspiration for the outfits, Halsey confirmed a number of artists, writing, "Xtina, Gaga, Carrie, and of course Shania, this was one loaded with nods to badass idols of mine. Had the vision to do a 'Before He Cheats' but instead about after he does haha".[7]

Composition

Musically, "You Should Be Sad" is a three minutes and twenty-five seconds acoustic-driven country pop ballad.[8][9][10][11][12] In terms of music notation, "You Should Be Sad" was composed using 4
4 common time in the key of B minor, with a tempo of 120 beats per minute.[13] The song follows the chord progression of Bm-G-D-F♯m/D-G-D-A.[13] Halsey's vocal range spans from the low note A3 to the high note of E5, giving the song two octaves and four notes of range.[13]

Lyrically, "You Should Be Sad" is a breakup song about an unfaithful ex-lover.[14]

Critical reception

Tom Breihan from Stereogum described the song as a "big, pissed-off ballad directed at an ex", while speculating G-Eazy as the subject of the track.[15] Writing for Vulture, Bethy Squires called the song a "devastating song to do for karaoke in front of an ex".[16] Kaitlin Reilly of Refinery29 wrote that the track was a "country breakup song" that lyrically "holds nothing back, guaranteeing the song a place on every post-breakup playlist".[10] Micheal Love Michael from Paper Magazine praised Halsey for being "brave enough to write about it in public", and felt that the lyrics were about "a toxic lover that [Halsey] escaped from".[17] Aidan Cullen from Billboard wrote about how the song plays on "country-western motifs to bring rootsy weight to Halsey's verbal revenge". Cullen continued with the Tiësto remix of the song, and wrote that the remix "turns up their twang with an ampilified bpm and a big-room blast of a hook" and called the remix a "great warm-up" to Halsey's Manic Tour.[18]

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top 20 on the record charts of several countries, including Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, and Scotland. On the first week of the song's release, the song was played 1,692 times on the Mediabase pop radio. On the week of January 19, 2020, the song was played 4,691 times, reaching number 18 on the Mediabase pop chart.[19] With 997,990 daily streams in the US, the song reached number 10 on the US Spotify Streaming Chart on January 21, 2020.[20]

Music video

A music video for the song was released alongside the track on January 10, 2020. The video was directed by Colin Tilley. The video depicts Halsey going to "an underground country western nightclub, where a lot of beautiful people are line-dancin". The video makes references to several artists such as Lady Gaga, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Christina Aguilera.[21]

Critical reception

Upon release, the video received mixed reviews. Tom Breihan of Stereogum called the video "completely ridiculous" though he praised the homage to Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much".[22] Stephen Daw of Billboard was more positive in his review, praising the pop culture references to Twain and Lady Gaga's American Horror Story: Hotel character, The Countess.[23] In an interview with Billboard on the red carpet of the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Shania Twain commented on the styles that "channels some of Twain's iconic fashion looks", stating that it made her "warm and fuzzy" and felt "flattered", in addition to being "excited to know that they were on the minds of the young artists coming up who appreciated what they were doing at the time".[24]

Other performers

For the Season 13 finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, Utica Queen performed the song as a lipsync, dressed in a black bodysuit and cowboy hat while tied up and surrounded by string. In the video, Utica uses scissors to dramatically cut the strings around her as she lipsyncs.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "You Should Be Sad"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[73] Platinum 70,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[74] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[75] 3× Platinum 240,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[76] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[77] Gold 200,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[78] Gold 35,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[79] Gold 30,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[80] Gold 15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[81] Gold 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[82] Platinum 50,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[83] Gold 5,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[84] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[85] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)[86] Gold 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various January 10, 2020
Original Capitol [25]
United States January 14, 2020 Contemporary hit radio [87]
Italy January 17, 2020 Radio airplay Universal [88]
Various February 14, 2020
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Tiësto remix Capitol [26]
Italy Radio airplay Universal [89]
Various February 28, 2020
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Acoustic Capitol [27]
March 13, 2020 Remixes [28]

References

  1. ^ "You should be sad". Spotify. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  2. ^ "Halsey - You should be sad". 9 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-10 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Zemler, Emily (2020-01-10). "Watch Halsey Channel Shania Twain in 'You Should Be Sad' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  4. ^ "Halsey Shares Video for New Track "You Should Be Sad"". Complex. Archived from the original on 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  5. ^ Cantor, Brian (11 January 2020). "Halsey's "You should be sad" Closed Day One With 360 Pop Radio Spins". Headline Planet. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  7. ^ Rearick, Lauren (10 January 2020). "Halsey References Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and More Pop Stars in Her "You Should Be Sad" Video". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Watch Halsey's "You Should Be Sad"". The FADER. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  9. ^ "Halsey – "You Should Be Sad"". Stereogum. 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  10. ^ a b Reilly, Kaitlin. "Halsey Wrote A Petty Sequel to Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats". Refinery29. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  11. ^ Kameir, Rawiya (January 22, 2020). "Halsey Manic". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  12. ^ Barlow, Eve (February 28, 2020). "Halsey, Pop's New Firebrand: 'Nobody Wants to Be My Friend. I'm Drama by Association'". The Guardian. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c "Halsey "You should be sad" Sheet Music in B Minor". Musicnotes.com. 10 January 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  14. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (2020-01-10). "Halsey Sings Naked on a Horse and Channels Female Pop Icons in Her "You Should Be Sad" Video". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  15. ^ Breihan, Tom (10 January 2020). "Halsey – "You Should Be Sad"". Stereogum. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  16. ^ Squires, Bethy (10 January 2020). "Halsey Says 'Go on, Git!' to an Ex in 'You Should Be Sad' Video". Vulture. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  17. ^ Michael, Micheal Love. "Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right". PAPER. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  18. ^ Cullen, Aidan. "Halsey Gets a Twangy Tiesto Turn Up With 'You Should Be Sad' Remix: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  19. ^ "Halsey's "You should be sad," Jonas Brothers' "What A Man Gotta Do" Officially Enter Top 20 At Pop Radio". Headline Planet. 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  20. ^ "Halsey's "You should be sad" Enters Top 10 On US Spotify Streaming Chart". Headline Planet. 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  21. ^ Zemler, Emily. "Watch Halsey Channel Shania Twain in 'You Should Be Sad' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Halsey – "You Should Be Sad"". January 10, 2020.
  23. ^ "Halsey Throws a Hoedown, Pays Homage to Lady Gaga, Shania Twain in 'You Should Be Sad' Video: Watch". Billboard.
  24. ^ Schiller, Rebecca. "Shania Twain Says Halsey's New Music Video Made Her Feel 'Warm and Fuzzy'". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Spotify". Spotify. January 10, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-05. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "You should be sad (Tiësto Remix) – Single by Halsey & Tiësto". Apple Music. 14 February 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  27. ^ a b "You should be sad (Acoustic) - Single by Halsey". February 28, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2022 – via Apple Music.
  28. ^ a b "iTunes - Music - You should be sad (Remixes) - Single by Halsey". iTunes Store. 13 March 2020.
  29. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  30. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  31. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  33. ^ "Bolivia General" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  34. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  35. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 28. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  36. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 04. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  37. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Tracklisten. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  38. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  39. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  40. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  41. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  42. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Top Digital Download. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  43. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  44. ^ "2020 5-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 31, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  45. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  46. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  47. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". VG-lista. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  48. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  49. ^ "Airplay 100 – 8 martie 2020" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  50. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  51. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 4". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on February 3, 2020.
  52. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 08. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  53. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 04. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  54. ^ "SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart". slotop50.si. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  55. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  56. ^ "Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  57. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  58. ^ "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2020-03-06." TopHit. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  59. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  60. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  61. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  62. ^ "Halsey Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  63. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2020-01-28. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  64. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  65. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2020". Ultratop. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  66. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  67. ^ "Stream Top 100 - darabszám alapján - 2020". Mahasz. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  68. ^ White, Jack (January 10, 2021). "Ireland's Official Top 50 biggest songs of 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  69. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2020". hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  70. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  71. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  72. ^ "Pop Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  73. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  74. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  75. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Music Canada. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  76. ^ "Danish single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  77. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Halsey; 'You Should Be Sad')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  78. ^ "Italian single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  79. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved November 27, 2020. Type Halsey in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and You Should Be Sad in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  80. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  81. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Halsey" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  82. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  83. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  84. ^ "British single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  85. ^ "American single certifications – Halsey – You Should Be Sad". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  86. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Halsey" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  87. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  88. ^ "HALSEY "You Should Be Sad" | (Radio Date: 17/01/2020)". radiodate.it. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  89. ^ "HALSEY " You Should Be Sad (Tiesto Remix)" | (Radio Date: 14/02/2020)". radiodate.it. Retrieved 2020-02-14.