Happy Without Me

* General Information

## Music Video

"**Happy Without Me**" is the eleventh track and fifth and final single off Chloe x Halle's debut album The Kids Are Alright (2018). The song features vocals by American rapper Joey Bada$$. The song serves as the album's third and final single released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records.

"Happy Without Me" was written and produced by Chloe and Halle Bailey, along with Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, and Mikhail "Sad Money" Beltran. It also features additional writing from Joey Bada$$.

An accompanying music video for the song was released on June 22, 2018.

## Critical reception

On his review of the parent album *The Kids Are Alright*, Alex Zidel from HotNewHipHop listed "Happy Without Me" as an album highlight, he wrote, "In a pairing that not many expected would sound this beautiful, Joey Bada$$ and Chloe x Halle makes for a fantastic collaboration... Joey complements the pair's voices as he raps seamlessly throughout his bars." Writing for Black Squirrel Radio, Akii Butler described the song lyrics as "strong", and praised Joey Bada$$ verse that "doesn’t hinder the song but instead complements it."

## Music video

The official visual for "Happy Without Me" is part of a 10-minute film of the parent album directed by Cara Stricker, titled *The Kids Are Alright*, starring Chloe, Halle, and American actor Ashton Sanders. The solo visual premiered on YouTube on June 22, 2018.

### Synopsis

The visual features the duo with Ashton Sanders on the beach. Sanders appears as "a fallen angel". Other scenes include the twins covered in glitter, and dancing under eye-squinting sun rays. Ivory M. Jones from *SoulBounce* noticed that despite "the underlying sentiments of the song's lyrics", the video itself "paints a picture of ultimate freedom as the two dance freely around on the beach." She also wrote that Ashton Sanders appears as a fallen angel to "at times appearing to symbolize the demise of love, and at others to symbolize the hope that accompanies a new beginning."

## Live performances

The duo performed "Happy Without Me" live on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* in October 2018. They also performed the song live on MTV Push in July 2018, and on *Wild 'N Out* in August 2018.

## Lyrics

I remember we were on the bleachers sharing secrets

When we look up, it'd be "Where did the time go?"

And I remember you would hold my hand and call me baby

While we dancing in the parking lot so slow

Bittersweet, those memories

When I see you with her now

And it breaks my heart, and it breaks my heart (Yeah)

And it breaks my heart to see you happy without me

Oh, I remember we would stay up late after the game

Look at the stars up in the sky in the nighttime

And I remember when you used to call me in the morning

Just to see if I was good and I slept right

Bittersweet, (Bittersweet) those memories (Those memories)

When I see (When I see) you with her now

And it breaks my heart, yeah it breaks my heart (Breaks my heart)

And it breaks my heart to see you happy

Yeah, I remember when we would cut class

Go to the park, just sit in the grass

Send me the spark 'cause I light up the gas

Telling you that I'm ahead anyway

I wish the feelings would just go away

I still be thinkin' 'bout you to this day

Sometimes I call you from private and just remain silent 'cause I do not know what to say, yuh

I know you stuck with the pain, yuh

I feel so f—ing ashamed, yuh

Girl, let's be honest I told you, I promise that I wouldn't do it again, yuh

I know you stuck in your ways (Huh)

So much just push me away (Huh)

Now that I got a new flame

Glad that we're feeling the same, yeah

But the sun will come again (Yeah)

Maybe one day in the future (Yeah, yeah)

You'll come runnin' right back again

(You'll come runnin' back again)

Maybe one day in the future

(Maybe one day in the future yeah, yeah)

(Yeah, yeah)

But I feel a little bit dumb, just a little bit sprung

Just a little too late

Oh, you call up those other chicks

I can't stop thinking it's lame missing you anyway

And it breaks my heart, and it breaks my heart (Breaks my heart)

And it breaks my heart to see you happy without me

(Oh) And it breaks my heart, and it breaks my heart

And it breaks my heart to see you happy without me

I feel a little bit dumb, just a little bit sprung, just a little too late

Now you call up those other chicks

I can't stop thinking, it's lame missing you anyway

Ayy, ayy, ayy

Ayy, ayy, ayy

Ayy, ayy, ayy

Without me

## **"Happy Without Me" credits adapted from Tidal**

### Written by:

Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Adam Messinger, Nasri Atweh, Jo-Vaughn Scott, Mikhail "Sad Money" Beltran

### Recorded by:

Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Adam Messinger, Nasri Atweh, Gosha Usov

### Track participants:

* Keyboards by Adam Messinger, Chloe Bailey, Sad Money, and Nasri Atweh

## References

1. ↑ "On 'The Kids Are Alright,' Chloe x Halle are the voices of a generation". *The Tufts Daily* (April 4, 2018). Retrieved on March 15, 2021.
2. ↑ "Chloe x Halle – Happy Without Me (feat. Joey Bada$$) Official Music Video". YouTube (June 22, 2018). Retrieved on March 13, 2021.
3. ↑ Zidel, Alex (March 23, 2018). "Joey Bada$$ Links With Chloe x Halle For "Happy Without Me"". HowNewHipHop. Retrieved on March 3, 2021.
4. ↑ "Chloe x Halle: The Kids Are Alright Album Review". Black Squirrel Radio (March 26, 2018). Retrieved on March 15, 2021.
5. ↑ Chloe x Halle (June 22, 2018). "Chloe x Halle – Happy Without Me (feat. Joey Bada$$) Official Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved on March 13, 2021.
6. ↑ Robertson, Darryl (June 25, 2018). "Chloe x Halle Feat. Joey Bada$$ “Happy Without Me” Watch". *Vibe*. Retrieved on March 13, 2021.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ivory (June 28, 2018). "Chloe x Halle Process Moving On From A Relationship In ‘Happy Without Me’". *SoulBounce*. Retrieved on March 13, 2021.
8. ↑ Chloe x Halle (October 26, 2018). "Chloe x Halle Perform “Happy Without Me” on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!". YouTube. Retrieved on March 5, 2021.
9. ↑ MTV (July 6, 2018). "Chloe x Halle Perform ‘Happy Without Me’ (Live Performance) | MTV Push". YouTube. Retrieved on March 20, 2021.
10. ↑ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters **url** and **title** must be specifiedWild 'N Out (November 3, 2018). . YouTube. Retrieved on March 20, 2021.
11. ↑ "Credits / The Kids Are Alright / Chloe x Halle". Tidal. Retrieved on March 13, 2021.