Wrong Direction (song)

"Wrong Direction"
Single by Hailee Steinfeld
from the EP Half Written Story
ReleasedJanuary 1, 2020 (2020-01-01)
Length4:09
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Koz
Hailee Steinfeld singles chronology
"Afterlife"
(2019) 		"Wrong Direction"
(2020) 		"I Love You's"
(2020)
Music video
"Wrong Direction" on YouTube

"Wrong Direction" is a song by American singer Hailee Steinfeld and was released by Republic Records on January 1, 2020.[1] The song serves as the lead single from Steinfeld's second EP Half Written Story (2020).

Background and composition

Steinfeld first teased the song's release by posting a picture on social media with the caption "1/1".[2] Later that day she announced the song's title.[3] It is speculated that the song is about Steinfeld's split from ex-boyfriend Niall Horan in 2018. Its title is also presumed to be a reference to Horan's band One Direction, who are currently on hiatus.[4][5][6][7][8]

"Wrong Direction" was written by Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Hailee Steinfeld, Skyler Stonestreet and Stephen Kozmeniuk, and was produced by Koz. The song runs for four minutes and eight seconds.[9] Ashley Iasimone of Billboard characterized "Wrong Direction" as "an emotional ballad that addresses a past relationship".[10]

Music video

The Alexandre Moors-directed music video was released on January 8, 2020, via YouTube premiere.[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[12]

Track listing

Digital download[13][12]
No.TitleLength
1."Wrong Direction"4:08

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 61
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15] 9
Scotland (OCC)[16] 71

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[17] Gold 20,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[18] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various January 1, 2020
Republic [13][12]

References

  1. ^ "Is Hailee Steinfeld Releasing a Diss Track About Ex Niall Horan with New Song 'Wrong Direction'?". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  2. ^ "hailee steinfeld on Instagram: "1/1"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  3. ^ "hailee steinfeld on Instagram: "1/1"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  4. ^ "Hailee Steinfeld to Release 'Wrong Direction' Song After Niall Horan Split". Us Weekly. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  5. ^ "Telling All! Hailee Steinfeld Seemingly Shades Ex Niall Horan in New Song". In Touch Weekly. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  6. ^ Atad, Corey (2019-12-30). "Fans Think Hailee Steinfeld's New Song 'Wrong Direction' Is About Ex Niall Horan". ET Canada. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  7. ^ "Hailee Steinfeld Announces New Single "Wrong Direction" One Year After Split From Niall Horan". NYLON. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  8. ^ Kelli, Boyle (December 30, 2019). "Why Fans Think Hailee Steinfeld Is Releasing a Diss Track About Ex Niall Horan". E! News. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  9. ^ "Wrong Direction". Spotify. January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "Hailee Steinfeld's New Year Begins With New Song 'Wrong Direction': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  11. ^ Shaffer, Claire (2020-01-08). "Hailee Steinfeld Gets Up Close and Personal in 'Wrong Direction' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  12. ^ a b c "Wrong Direction / Hailee Steinfeld". Tidal. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  13. ^ a b "Wrong Direction – Single by Hailee Steinfeld". Apple Music. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  14. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Hailee Steinfeld – Wrong Direction" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Hailee Steinfeld – Wrong Direction". Music Canada. Retrieved August 26, 2021.