Without Me

## Alternate covers

### Composer(s)

Ashley Frangipane, Brittany Amaradio, Amy Allen, Louis Bell, Justin Timberlake, Timothy Mosley, Scott Storch
Jarad Anthony Higgins (remix only)

### Albums

*Manic*
*Collabs*

## Music Video

"**Without Me**" is a song performed by Halsey. Originally being released as a standalone single, it later served as the lead single of her third studio album, *Manic*, on which it is featured as the ninth track. It was released on October 4, 2018 through Capitol Records. It is also featured on Halsey's second EP, *Collabs*.

"Without Me" reached number one on the *Billboard Hot 100*, becoming Halsey's first number-one single as a lead artist, and her second overall, following her feature on the The Chainsmokers' song "Closer" in 2016. The song also reached the top three of eleven other countries, namely Australia, Canada, Hungary, Malaysia, Portugal, Slovakia, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, Greece and the United Kingdom. It also reached the top five in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Norway. Its music video, directed by Colin Tilley, was released on October 29, 2018. The track was certified 5x Platinum in the United States, 4× Platinum in Australia and Canada, and Platinum in the United Kingdom.

## Background

During a performance in London on September 23, 2018, Halsey teased visuals for "Without Me" before announcing it would be released on October 4. The song premiered on Zane Lowe's World Record radio show on Beats 1, and was followed by an interview about the song. It is her first solo song since her 2017 album, *Hopeless Fountain Kingdom*. "Without Me" is directed at her ex-boyfriend G-Eazy who "cheated on [her] in front of the entire world, like, a billion times".

She also shared how she was feeling while recording the song:

"*I cried the whole time I recorded it. But now I feel proud. And empowered.*"
—Halsey

The song was originally not supposed to appear on Halsey's third studio album *Manic* however, later became its lead single and replaced "Nightmare". It was crucial in shaping the album's introspective theme that strips away the "Halsey persona":

"*It’s the most raw thing I’ve ever made... Here, I have this record where it’s just me, no character. It’s about my life and my relationship that the world has watched so closely… It’s just me.*"
—Halsey in an interview with *Apple Music*

She also underlined how the song is Ashley and not Halsey in an interview with Beats 1:

"*It’s just me, it’s like me in a white t-shirt with like normal hair, just like seeing the camera. No character, no cinematography, no gun fight, car explosion, you know stuff like I usually do.*"
—Halsey with Beats 1

On January 9, 2019 Halsey released a remix of the song to celebrate it reaching #1. The remix features the late Juice WRLD.

## Chart performance

"Without Me" debuted at number 18 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 chart issue dated October 20, 2018. With the debut of the music video, "Without Me" jumped to number nine, giving Halsey her first top 10 single since "Bad at Love" reached number five in January 2018. On the issue dated January 12, 2019, "Without Me" reached number one, becoming Halsey's first solo number-one song on the Hot 100 and her second overall after "Closer" with The Chainsmokers in 2016. Additionally, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland scored their sixth and eighth Hot 100 chart-topper as songwriters, respectively. It was also the number-one selling song in the US for six weeks on the Digital Songs chart. In the UK the song peaked at number three, making it her third top five hit. Due to "Without Me" becoming number one, Halsey became the eighth woman to achieve multiple number ones on the *Billboard* Hot 100 during the 2010s. Billboard's Jason Lipshutz stated, "there's no cheat code that "Without Me" used to get to the top of the Hot 100 — it's just a really polished, successful pop single, the type that Halsey has been tossing out more and more frequently." The song has yet to depart the top five after 20 consecutive weeks. In February 2019, Halsey's song "Eastside" replaced "Without Me" as number one on the Mainstream Top 40. It made Halsey the first artist since 2014 to replace themselves as #1 on the chart, and it also made "Eastside" the longest journey to #1 in the charts history. In March, "Without Me" returned to number one, which made Halsey the first artist in the charts history to replace herself at #1 on the chart twice. "Without Me" also became Halsey's third number one on *Billboard's* Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart in its March 9, 2019 issue.

## Official versions

* Album/single version - 3:22
* Juice WRLD remix - 3:42
* ILLENIUM remix - 4:08
* Stripped version - 3:02

## Music video

A music video directed by Colin Tilley was released on October 29, 2018.

## Lyrics

### Solo version

[Verse 1]

Found you when your heart was broke

I filled your cup until it overflowed

Took it so far to keep you close (Keep you close)

I was afraid to leave you on your own (Ooh)

[Pre-Chorus]

I said I'd catch you if you fall (Fall)

And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (All)

And then I got you off your knees

Put you right back on your feet

Just so you could take advantage of me

[Chorus]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin' up there?

Feelin' so high, but too far away to hold me

You know I'm the one who put you up there

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely?

Thinkin' you could live without me

Thinkin' you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (Yeah, I don't know why)

Thinkin' you could live without me

Live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (I don't know why, yeah, yeah)

[Verse 2]

Gave love 'bout a hundred tries (Hundred tries)

Just runnin' from the demons in your mind

Then I took yours and made 'em mine (Mine)

I didn't notice 'cause my love was blind

[Pre-Chorus]

Said I'd catch you if you fall (Fall)

And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (All)

And then I got you off your knees

Put you right back on your feet

Just so you could take advantage of me

[Chorus]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin' up there?

Feelin' so high, but too far away to hold me

You know I'm the one who put you up there

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely?

Thinkin' you could live without me

Thinkin' you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (Yeah, I don't know why)

Thinkin' you could live without me

Live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why, yeah

[Bridge]

You don't have to say just what you did (What you did)

I already know (I know)

I had to go and find out from them (Oh-woah)

So tell me, how's it feel? (Oh-woah)

[Chorus]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin' up there?

Feelin' so high, but too far away to hold me

You know I'm the one who put you up there

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely?

Thinkin' you could live without me

Thinkin' you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (Yeah, I don't know why)

### Juice WRLD remix

[Intro: Juice WRLD]

Ah-all I ever wanted

[Verse 1: Halsey]

Found you when your heart was broke

I filled your cup until it overflowed

Took it so far to keep you close (Keep you close)

I was afraid to leave you on your own

[Pre-Chorus: Halsey, Halsey & Juice WRLD]

I said I'd catch you if you fall (Fall)

And if they laugh, then fuck ’em all (All)

And then I got you off your knees

Put you right back on your feet

Just so you could take advantage of me

[Chorus: Halsey]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin' up there?

Feelin’ so high, but too far away to hold me

You know I'm the one who put you up there

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely?

Thinking you could live without me

Thinking you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (Yeah, I don't know why)

Thinking you could live without me

Live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (I don't know why, yeah, yeah)

[Verse 2: Halsey]

Gave love ’bout a hundred tries (Hundred tries)

Just running from the demons in your mind

Then I took yours and made ’em mine (Mine)

I didn't notice ’cause my love was blind

[Pre-Chorus: Halsey, Halsey & Juice WRLD]

I said I'd catch you if you fall (Fall)

And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (All)

And then I got you off your knees

Put you right back on your feet

Just so you could take advantage of me

[Chorus: Halsey, Halsey & Juice WRLD]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin’ up there?

Feelin' so high but too far away to hold me

You know I'm the one who put you up there

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely?

Thinking you could live without me

Thinking you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why (Yeah, I don't know why)

Thinking you could live without me

Live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why, yeah

[Verse 3: Juice WRLD]

I'm sad inside, but I know it's for the best, right?

You had to realize where you drew the line

I would cross the line a thousand times

You've got what I need, bae, I need your spotlight

Along the lines of social suicide, I refuse to die not by your side

So I'll take what I can from you, then I'll hide

And save the "Lucid Dreams" for another time

I still hate it when you're not there

I know I should, I know I should, but no, I don't care

I still hate it when you're not there

This life's not fair, took advantage of that

[Chorus: Halsey, Juice WRLD, & Both]

Tell me, how's it feel sittin' up there? (Ah-ah)

Feelin' so high, but too far away to hold me (Life's not fair)

You know I'm the one who put you up there (Ayy, ayy, yeah)

Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely? (Lonely)

Thinking you could live without me

Thinking you could live without me

Baby, I'm the one who put you up there

I don't know why

## References

1. ↑ *NME* - "Halsey teases new single ‘Without Me’ – watch"
2. ↑ *NME* - "Listen to Halsey’s brand new single, ‘Without Me’
3. ↑ *Rollling Stone* - Halsey A REBEL AT PEACE
4. ↑ *Twitter* - @halsey - "I cried the whole time I recorded it. But now I feel proud. And empowered."
5. ↑ *YouTube* - "Halsey: 'Without Me' Interview | Apple Music"
6. ↑ *Genius* - "Without Me" Lyrics
7. ↑ G. T. "Without Me". *Billboard Hot 100*, vol. 130, no. 26, Nov. 2018, p. 9
8. ↑ *Billboard* - "Halsey's 'Without Me' Tops Billboard Hot 100, Becoming Her First No. 1 as a Lead Artist
9. ↑ *Billboard* - "Mariah Carey's 'Christmas' Climbs to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100, Ariana Grande's 'Next' Leads for Seventh Week"
10. ↑ *Billboard* - "Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Tops Hot 100 for Second Week, Panic! at the Disco's 'High Hopes' Hits Top 10"
11. ↑ *WENK-WTPR* - "Halsey scores first solo #1 with "Without Me": 'I'm speechless'"
12. ↑ - "Halsey On Top: 'Without Me' Reaches No. 1, and a Pop Star Levels Up Again"
13. ↑ *Altpress* -""Eastside" replaces "Without Me" at No. 1 spot on pop charts"
14. ↑ *Twitter* - "@halsey's "Without Me" returns to #1 on the Pop Songs airplay chart for a fifth week. She becomes the first artist in history to replace herself at #1 on the chart twice."
15. ↑ *Billboard* - "Halsey's 'Without Me' Hits No. 1 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart"

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