"Happier" (stylized in lowercase) is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter

Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs ''Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Music ...

, seen as the eighth track on Rodrigo's debut studio album

Sour The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...

, which was released on May 21, 2021 through

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. The song was produced by

Dan Nigro Daniel Leonard Nigro (born May 14, 1982) is an American musician, songwriter, instrumentalist and record producer. He was the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band As Tall As Lions. Nigro has produced, written and co-written songs ...

. According to Rodrigo, this song is inspired by the song '' Perfect'' by

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

in both the lyrics and the instrumental track. Musically, "Happier" is a

folk-pop Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...

piano

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, over a deep bass production. The lyrics of the song details the struggles of moving on from a break-up while selfishly wishing their former partner to be less happy with their new relationship. The song received critical acclaim from music critics upon the release of ''Sour'', with many naming it as one of the album's best songs and highlights.

Background

"Happier" was released as one of the eleven songs from Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, ''Sour''. The song is one of the few songs Rodrigo previewed as a

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and caught the attention of Nigro, who produced the song, to make it onto the album. On April 1, 2021, Rodrigo announced that her debut album was set to be released on May 21, 2021. On April 13, Rodrigo announced that the album is titled ''

''. Alongside the album name announcement, the track listing was also revealed. "Happier" appears as the eighth track of the album. The song was released on May 21, 2021, alongside its parent album, with an accompanying lyric video released on Rodrigo's

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channel.

Composition

"Happier" is a piano-led folk-pop ballad, with a deep bass production. Rodrigo wrote this song by herself in 2019, with production by Dan Nigro. It has a total duration of two minutes and 55 seconds. The song's lyrics speak of "dealing with the flawed narrative of female rivalry" while selfishly wishing her ex-partner and new love a happy future, not just as happy as when they were still together, with the lyrics "I hope you're happy, but don't be happier." According to the score published in Musicnotes.com by Sony Music Publishing, the song is written in the key of G♭ major with a tempo of 56 beats per minute. It is set in 68 times, and Rodrigo's voice ranges from G♭3 to D♭5.

Critical reception

Chris Willman from ''

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'' named "Happier" as the "best song" of the album, and stated that the song has a "clever-but-real lyrical twist". P. Claire Dodson of ''

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'', described the song as one of the "strongest" among the songs written by Rodrigo. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic Angie Martoccio said that the song is "one of the lbums sparkly highlights".

Commercial performance

In the United States, following the release of ''Sour'', "Happier" debuted within the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 15, alongside the 10 other tracks from the album. The following week, the song fell five places to number 20. The song also debuted at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart. "Happier" charted in both

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and

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at number 15, and

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at number 14. In the United Kingdom, the song failed to chart within the official

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, but it did on the UK Streaming Chart at number 18. Elsewhere, "Happier" charted within the top 40 in

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, and

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, at numbers 29, 28, and 19, respectively.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal and the liner notes of ''Sour''. Recording * Recorded at Amusement Studios (Los Angeles) * Mixed at SOTA Studios (Los Angeles) * Mastered at

Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947 – June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He at ...

(New York City) Personnel *

– vocals, backing vocals, songwriter *

Daniel Nigro Daniel A. Nigro (born October 11, 1948) was the Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) from 2014 until his retirement in 2022. Nigro's appointment was announced on May 9, 2014, and he was sworn in on June 9. Nigro was the 33rd ...

– producer, backing vocals, recording engineer, piano, bass, drums, synth, guitar * Paul Cartwright – viola, violin * Kathleen – backing vocals * Dan Viafore – assistant engineer * Mitch McCarthy – mixing engineer *

Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...

– mastering engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2020s ballads 2021 songs American folk songs Folk ballads Olivia Rodrigo songs Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Dan Nigro Songs written by Olivia Rodrigo