Hard Feelings/Loveless

"Hard Feelings/Loveless"
Song by Lorde
from the album Melodrama
Studio
Length 6:07
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Hard Feelings/Loveless" is a medley song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde for her second album, Melodrama (2017). She wrote and co-produced the track with Jack Antonoff, with additional production from Frank Dukes. It is a song which has influences of other genres such as industrial music, noise music, and electronica and uses a distorted synthesizer. "Loveless" includes two samples: the first two lines of the song are taken from a documentary about Paul Simon's album Graceland (1986), and the transitional drum solo was from Phil Collins' 1981 song "In the Air Tonight". The lyrics detail the emotions of falling out of love while mocking the current generation's lengths to pretend to be unaffected by love.

The song received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the song's lyrics and production. The lyrics were compared to the 1987 psychological thriller film Fatal Attraction, while its production was likened to Kanye West's work on Yeezus (2013). The track's themes center on the effects of heartbreak and social issues around love. Lorde performed "Hard Feelings/Loveless", with six other songs, as part of a re-imagined Vevo series at the Electric Lady Studios where she recorded most of her album. It was also part of the set list of her Melodrama World Tour (2017–2018).

Background and development

An image of a man in a black and white filter dressed in a coat and dress shirt looking towards the camera.
"Loveless" contains a sample from Paul Simon (pictured in 1966) on his documentary about his 1986 album Graceland.

Lorde revealed in an interview with The Spinoff that the first two lines from "Loveless", "What is this tape? / This is my favorite tape" were sampled from a documentary she watched about Paul Simon's album Graceland (1986).[1] The drum solo, used as the transition instrument for "Loveless", was sampled from Phil Collins' 1981 song "In the Air Tonight".[2] Jack Antonoff said in a profile in Entertainment Weekly that one of his proudest moments during the recording was placing a "synth at the end [of the song] that sounds like metal bending".[3] Lorde stated that this was one of the earliest tracks on the record. She often listened to the soft rock of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Simon’s music while riding the subways in New York City, or taking cab rides home from parties in her hometown of Auckland. They were sources of inspiration for "Hard Feelings/Loveless".[2]

Despite not being credited for production, Lorde said that Malay brought in some guitars which they used for "Hard Feelings". She described the feeling of the song as one of "sitting in the car, delaying the moment where you have to open the door and go out into your life," while simply wanting to "sit there for a second more before moving on". In her words, "Hard Feelings/Loveless" is a traditional breakup song. She compared the track to Kanye West's song "Famous" (2016), where the beat comes out unexpectedly, mashing another sound and showing another side of yourself.[1] Lorde confessed that she never felt "Loveless" should have been its own track. She mentioned that the song includes many references to being single and young and the politics of an evening as well as the landmines you have to jump over. In a profile in The New York Times, Antonoff called the song the "calm after a big fight". He also said that "Hard Feelings/Loveless" reminded him of Don Henley's 1989 song "The Heart of the Matter", which "grapples with news that a past lover has met someone new, then laments other bygone relationships". Lorde recalled that she felt those exact emotions, saying that the "moment you get out of the car, you are only going to get farther apart from each other".[4]

When recording the track, Lorde said she felt an instant connection with Antonoff, describing him as a very singular individual. She said she was "basically speed-dating different producers and songwriters in LA and hating it. And then [she] walked into a room with [Jack Antonoff] and just felt like home. [She] was like, 'Oh, yes. I want to be around you as long as I can and as much as possible.' [The duo] were just obsessed with each other." Despite Lorde and Antonoff's different instincts, their shared views about pop music helped Lorde feel a sense of trust and safety with him. She said that it was rare to have a male collaborator and feel like you could be completely yourself. She took pride in taking a risk and experimenting with the song. She noted that Antonoff copied her breath, which made "blips of breath" through the song that felt like a "warm bed frame". Lorde likened the chorus to traditional 1980s music.[1]

Recording and lyrics

Lorde recorded "Hard Feelings/Loveless" at five different locations in the United States. She began recording at Conway Recording Studios, in Los Angeles, California, assisted by recording engineer Eric Eylands. She also recorded at Rough Customer Studios, in Brooklyn Heights, New York, with Barry McCready and Jack Antonoff. Recording also took place at Electric Lady Studios and at Jungle City Studios whose location is referenced in the lyrics, "I'm at Jungle City, it's late and this song is for you." It was completed at Westlake Recording Studios, in Los Angeles, with Greg Eliason. John Hanes mixed "Hard Feelings" at MixStar Studios, while Antonoff mixed "Loveless" at his home studio of Rough Customer Studios. Other personnel include Frank Dukes, who provided additional production as well as Malay, though uncredited, brought in guitars that Lorde used on the song.[9]

"Hard Feelings/Loveless" is composed in the key of B-flat major with a moderate groove tempo of 74 beats per minute. Lorde's vocals span a range of E♭3 to G4. The song has two differents chord progressions, "Hard Feelings" follows a basic sequence of B♭–E♭–Gm while "Loveless" follows a sequence of E♭–Cm–A♭–B♭.[10] "Hard Feelings/Loveless" is an "industrial-infused" song which has influences of other genres such as noise music and electronica as well as the use of a distorted synthesizer and electronic beats in its production.[5][6][7][8] Stacey Anderson from Pitchfork described the song as having a "creaky, atonal electronic rasp".[11] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the production of "Hard Feelings/Loveless" as infusing some "mixes with noise," making "burbles and blotches of synthesizer distortion erupt on the edges" of the first song like the "psychic storm behind the song's attempts at a merciful breakup".[7] Spencer Kornhaber from The Atlantic felt that the song's lyrics painted a "touching scene of her sitting in a car with a beau on the verge of splitting" ending the track with "I guess I should go."[12]

The track begins with Lorde saying, with a wistful look back — "go back and tell it".[13] Noisey editor Lauren O'Neill said the lines, "I light all the candles / Got flowers for all my rooms / I care for myself the way I used to care about you" acknowledge how double-sided the process of moving on is, "as if she's building an altar at which she can learn to worship herself, rather than a lover".[14] Caitlin White of Uproxx said that the line, "I care for myself the way I used to care about you" was the "final transaction of a teenage heart".[15] Towards the end of "Hard Feelings", Lorde is heard saying the word "baby" before the track cuts, ending the song with an ambiguous feeling. "Loveless" refers to the "generational epidemic" of love, calling her peers the "generation [loveless]" according to Vulture.[16] The lines, "Bet you wanna rip my heart out / bet you wanna skip my calls now / well guess what? I like that" have been described as sarcastic. They expose the truth in a "sharp couplet that rips into millennial-made traps to avoid commitment".[16] Her humor is seen in the line, "All fuckin' with our lover's heads," comparing it to bombs going off in the city. During the recording process, Antonoff recommended that Lorde take inspiration from Sinéad O'Connor's voice, which he referred to as being "adult contemporary".[4]

Reception and promotion

"Hard Feelings/Loveless" received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised its lyrics and experimental production. Entertainment Weekly writer Nolan Feeney said that Lorde showed a "winking self-awareness, taking the cliché of the crazy ex-girlfriend" to extremes. Her persona was compared to Alexandra Forrest in the 1987 psychological thriller film Fatal Attraction.[17] The Jakarta Post writer Stanley Widianto felt that "Hard Feelings" had "Melodrama's most challenging moments" with its "industrial, sharp-as-shards beats," which are "countered" by the bubblegum pop of "Loveless".[18] Pigeons and Planes placed the song in their Best Songs of the Week list for the week of 16 June 2017. Joyce stated that both parts "provide an interesting juxtaposition, melodramatic sadness with a cool, calm angst".[19] It was also placed on Vulture's Best New Songs of the Week list, with Dee Lockett praising "Hard Feelings" for its ability to "bulldoze the heart" before it "knows what hit it" because it was written from a place where Lorde's heart was already "flattened".[20] Pretty Much Amazing called "Hard Feelings/Loveless" one of the "most ambitious pop songs" of the year, comparing its sound to West's work on Yeezus (2013).[5] Slant called the first part of the song a "happy surprise," referring it as the "most shamelessly poppy track" she ever recorded.[8]

In a mixed-positive review, The Spinoff called "Hard Feelings a "tender, introspective vow to move on from love without losing the memory of it," but stated that the turning point of the song is "not signposted". The publication further commented that the contrast between both tracks was "obviously intentional," making an "ambiguous artistic statement" that the album does not pull off. "Loveless" was likened to Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" (2015), a song that "seems laughably crude on first listen in comparison to the considered craft" on either side of the record.[13] Sharing similar sentiments, Spin writer, Anna Gaca commented that the track was "ragged" and a "two-faced puzzle that creaks through its experimental instrumental," comparing it to the "tick tocks" of White Rabbit, the fictional character from Lewis Carroll's 1895 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Gaca siad that the album's "weirder moments glint like diamonds in the rough," and that there was something to love in every song, "even the misfortunate Loveless".[21]

Lorde performed "Hard Feelings/Loveless", with six other songs, as part of a re-imagined Vevo series at the Electric Lady Studios where she recorded most of the album.[22] It is also part of the set list of her ongoing Melodrama World Tour (2017–2018). "Hard Feelings" was the third song Lorde played at her Manchester, United Kingdom date, while "Loveless" was the encore.[23]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Melodrama.[9]

Recording and management

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Henry (19 June 2017). "The Spinoff Exclusive: Lorde explains the backstory behind every song on her new album". The Spinoff. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Shaffer, Claire (24 June 2017). "The Influences on Lorde's 'Melodrama': Frank Ocean, Robyn, Bowie and 10 Other Artists Who Shaped Its Sound". Newsweek. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  3. ↑ Feeney, Nolan (28 December 2017). "Jack Antonoff on his jam-packed 2017 and the Taylor Swift song he calls a 'hint at the future'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 Weiner, Jonah (12 April 2017). "The Return of Lorde". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Groundwater, Colin (19 June 2017). "Review: Lorde,, Melodrama". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  6. 1 2 Hermes, Will (16 June 2017). "Review: Lorde's 'Melodrama' Is Fantastically Intimate, a Production Tour De Force". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Pareles, Jon (16 June 2017). "Lorde Learns She Can't Party Away Her Melancholy on 'Melodrama'". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 Cinquemani, Sal (15 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama". Slant. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  9. 1 2 Melodrama (CD). Lorde. United States: Lava/Republic Records. 2017. B0026615-02.
  10. ↑ "Lorde "Hard Feelings / Loveless" Sheet Music in Bb Major (transposable)". Musicnotes.com. 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Stacy (16 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  12. ↑ Kornhaber, Spencer (16 June 2017). "Lorde Is Older but Somehow Less Jaded". The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  13. 1 2 Hunt, Elle (17 June 2017). "Review: the era-defining potential of 'Melodrama'". The Spinoff. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  14. ↑ O'Neill, Lauren (22 June 2017). "On Youth, Pain and 'Melodrama'". Noisey. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  15. ↑ White, Caitlin (19 June 2017). "The Dark And Wild Fluorescence Of Lorde's 'Melodrama'". Uproxx. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  16. 1 2 Lockett, Dee (16 June 2017). "Lorde's 'Hard Feelings/Loveless' Takes Millennials to Task". Vulture. The New Yorker. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  17. ↑ Feeney, Nolan (16 June 2017). "Lorde makes partying sound holy on Melodrama: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  18. ↑ Stanley, Widianto (21 July 2017). "Album Review: 'Melodrama' by Lorde". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  19. ↑ Pigeons and Planes Staff (16 June 2017). "Best Songs of the Week (Jun 16th, 2017)". Pigeons and Planes. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  20. ↑ Vulture Editors (21 June 2017). "7 Best New Songs of the Week". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  21. ↑ Gaca, Anna (16 June 2017). "Review: Lorde Is a Visionary in the Dark on Melodrama". Spin. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  22. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (16 August 2017). "See Lorde's New Videos for Six Reimagined 'Melodrama' Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  23. ↑ Cooper, Mathew (27 September 2017). "Review: Lorde at the Manchester Apollo". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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