More Than a Friend

* Single
* EP

Single artwork

EP artwork

**More Than a Friend** is a single by GIRLI. Released on May 28, 2021, it serves as the 1st and opening track of her fourth extended play (EP), Damsel in Distress, as well as its lead single.

## Background

More Than a Friend was influenced by artist and band Tove Lo and Tegan and Sara respectively, who GIRLI listens to since she was a teenager. In a June 2022 interview with Paper Magazine, she revealed she had asked the duo to feature on a remix of the single. However, they were not able to, as they were completing an album.

The song was written in London and Stockholm with longtime friend and collaborator July Jones. In a November 2021 interview with Live Manchester, GIRLI stated:

> I love working with other queer women when making music because I can go in with an experience and I don't need to explain myself; they get it and will help me express it into a sick song.
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In a June 2021 interview with Gig Goer, she explained:

> Every song I wrote for 'Ex Talk', and same when I wrote 'More Than a Friend', began with basically a therapy session to whoever I was writing the song with that day. Luckily, I only really write with people who I consider my friends, so I don't care about them judging me when I give them my whole life story before we write a song. I wrote 'More Than a Friend' with my friend July Jones, who's actually my housemate, and I was complaining to her about this girl who didn't like me back. She just said 'I guess that's what the song is gonna be about today'.
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A year later, in a June 2022 interview with Paper Magazine, when asked whether the events of the track described a real life experience, GIRLI responded:

> Oh yeah, completely. They describe a real life event with a real life person who definitely knows the song is about them. I thought I had managed to hide that fact, but I didn't. *[Laughs]* A lot of the time people will hear the song and think that I'm singing about my current girlfriend, but actually, the song is about someone who was my friend where we didn't end up getting together because it was always this question of, 'are they queer? Do they like me?' You know, like *[agh]*.
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> I ended up telling them how I felt and they didn't feel the same. I like that people can translate the song to be relevant to them and things that are happening in their lives as well, which is always what I'm trying to do. And funnily enough, the person it's about told me how much they loved the song.
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In November 2022, she told Diva Magazine, in response to More Than a Friend becoming a viral queer anthem during Pride Month 2021:

> I just wrote a song about an experience that I had that I couldn't find any songs about, released it, made a music video with a girl as my love interest, and the LGBTQ+ internet community went mad for it. It shows that people are craving queer love stories in music. I just write about my own experiences, and as queer person, those experiences connect with other queer people.
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## Theme

In May 2021, GIRLI told NME the single was autobiographical:

> I wrote this song about crushing hard on a girl who didn't want me back. It's about the sexual frustration of wanting someone so bad but knowing they just don't like you like that. Falling for your friend can happen to anyone, but I think it's a feeling that is particularly poignant to queer people. Falling for a friend who perhaps isn't the same sexual orientation as you and not being able to express those feelings for fear of being judged or losing that friendship. It's sticky.
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## Trivia

* In a Pop Crave interview, when asked which song she was most excited to play live, GIRLI responded:
> I love playing 'More Than a Friend', because people go feral for that song. I can see in their faces they're reliving the unrequited love story of their own life. It feels very personal.
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	+ In a November 2021 interview with Live Manchester, when discussing which Damsel in Distress track she particularly looked forward to playing, GIRLI also mentioned More Than a Friend: "My audience is largely LGBTQIA+ and this song feels like a love letter to that community".

### Additional Credits

* Co-producer - **GIRLI**
* Starring - **GIRLI**, **Q**
* Production assistant - **Lottie O'Connell**
* 1st assistant director - **Lucy Crow**
* Director of photography - **Joe Brunt**
* 1st assistant camera, Focus Puller - **Grace Pogonoski**
* 2nd assistant camera - **Charlotte Elson-Whittaker**
* Gaffer - **Alex Butler**
* Spark - **Ben Vacher**
* Stills - **Sara Irvine**
* Production designer - **Charlii Kerr**
* Art assistant - **Julia Chacinska**
* Hair - **Charles Stanley**
* Make-up artist - **Charlotte Fitzjohn**
* Stylist - **Izzi Lewin**
* Catering - **Molly Bradbrook**
* Special thanks - **Feral Equipment**, **University of Westminster**, **Moth Club**, **Film Fixer**

### Behind the Scenes

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### Background

In a May 2021 Instagram post, Max McLachlan said:

> @mike\_upson stressed out his mind and body in under 1 week to sort 3 locations along with everything else, wouldn't be half as good without the boy
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In a June 2021 Instagram post, Feral Equipment stated:

> The #sonyfx6 used allowed the crew to move quickly and film in tight spaces whilst taking advantage of the camera's amazing low light capabilities and filmic image quality.
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In November 2021, GIRLI told Live Manchester:

> I actually had that moment when I saw the first cut of the music video for 'More Than a Friend'. I thought, 'holy shit, this is what I've been trying to make for years and always had suppressed by the people around me in my team'.
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## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I met her when I was still with my ex, but

Her lipstick was blood red, she wore her hair messed up

She was my best friend when I had a boyfriend

But she was on my mind when I was in his bed

[Pre-Chorus]

So we kept in touch 'cause I wanted to touch her

I got kinda drunk and told her that I liked her

She said, "You're the best"

This girl has got me all messed up, up, up, 'cause

[Chorus]

When she bites her lip, looks at me like that

I wanna be morе than a friend, more than a friend

Doеs she feel the same? Does she want me back?

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

I have you close but I want more

I want your t-shirt on the floor

When you bite your lip, look at me like that

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

[Verse 2]

So fucking confusing the way that she texts me

Keeps saying, "I love you", wish she really meant it (Hey, I love you)

Sometimes she comes over, we call it a girl's night

When she takes her clothes off, I know that she's my type (Oh my god)

[Pre-Chorus]

So we kept in touch 'cause I wanted to touch her

I got kinda drunk and told her that I liked her

She said, "You're the best"

This girl has got me all messed up, (All messed up in my mind) up, up, 'cause

[Chorus]

When she bites her lip, looks at me like that

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

Does she feel the same? Does she want me back?

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

I have you close but I want more

I want your t-shirt on the floor

When you bite your lip, look at me like that

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

[Bridge]

My hands 'round her body

Her perfume left on me

On top of the dresser

I wanna undress her

My hands 'round her body

Her perfume left on me

This girl's got me all messed up

[Chorus]

When she bites her lip, looks at me like that

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

Does she feel the same? Does she want me back?

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

I have you close but I want more

I want your t-shirt on my floor

When you bite your lip, look at me like that

I wanna be more than a friend, more than a friend

## Credits

### Technical

* Writers - **GIRLI**, **July Jones**, **Tannergard**
* Producer - **Tannergard**

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://giggoer.com/2021/06/02/in-the-spotlight-girli
2. ↑ https://gigwise.com/features/3407395/interview--girli-on-writing-for-bts--feeling-powerful---her-damsel-in-distress-era
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.papermag.com/girli-damsel-in-distress
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.live-manchester.co.uk/in-interview-girli-qa
5. ↑ https://diva-magazine.com/2022/11/03/girli-diva-interview
6. ↑ https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-girlis-emotive-new-song-more-than-a-friend-2951167
7. ↑ https://popcrave.com/pop-crave-exclusive-girli-interview
8. ↑ https://chacinskajulia.wixsite.com/website/bio-8
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 https://www.facebook.com/girlimusic/posts/pfbid0MbdBxPY7Gf76N2Jp8ACwaS4q3FcuBZWH3VqBt7mA6pGccwJNXntzLJuKBrNGgrAMl
10. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CPdpHQ3B-HX
11. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CPn6d6\_h1ZZ

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