No Better

"**No Better**" is the debut solo single recorded by Korean-Ukrainian singer-songwriter Jisoo. It was released on November 18, 2016, by Interscope Records as the lead single from her debut studio album, *Titleless* (2017). Jisoo wrote the song with producer Joel Little. "No Better" is an electropop and trip hop ballad with elements of hip hop, in which Jisoo discusses an infatuation.

"No Better" received positive reviews from music critics, with some highlighting the song's production and lyrical content. It attained commercial success, including reaching number one in Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon and Malaysia. The song also reached number two in a number of countries, including South Korea and the UK. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded it a diamond certification.

Joel Kefali directed the music video, which depicts Jisoo involved in several activities with a group of teenage boys in a suburban neighbourhood. Reviewers noted the video for its minimalistic imagery.

## Background and release

Following Jisoo's departure from the girl group Inter Violet, and after years of writing in her downtime, she began writing songs in earnest for her debut. In September 2016, Jisoo was paired with Joel Little, a former singer and guitarist of the New Zealand pop-punk band Goodnight Nurse. Her vocal performance and songwriting abilities impressed Little, who composed songs with musical structures that were based on her lyrics.

"No Better" was released on November 18, 2016, to digital music stores and streaming services, alongside a music video on YouTube. On November 22, 2016, the song was sent to alternative radio stations in the United States and on December 6, 2016, it was sent to contemporary hit radio stations. A month later, "No Better" was released to rhythmic contemporary radio in the US.

## Composition and lyrics

"No Better" is an electropop and trip hop ballad with hip hop elements. The song has a similar sonority to that of other songs from *Titleless*, featuring Jisoo's "feathery" vocals and minimal production. It incorporates "woozy" basslines, and "pulsing" synthesisers in its instrumentation, making the song's melody "dreamy", according to Whitney Phaneuf of *HitFix*. Lyrically, the song features Jisoo "[celebrating] an infatuation that deepens as the seasons change". At the first verse, she sings "We roll in every summer when there's strength in our numbers / And your breath's hot and gross but I kiss you like a lover". During the chorus the bass beat becomes more intense as Jisoo sings "Go all the way / Have your fun, have it all". Jisoo stated she took inspiration from pop and hip hop-influenced artists such as ASAP Rocky, Drake, Lana Del Rey, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Jay-Z.

## Reception

Marc Hogan from *Spin* wrote that the song "flits between fairly vivid first-person details", while Whitney Phaneuf from *HitFix* labelled "No Better" a "sexy" track. Eric Danton of *Rolling Stone* opined that the lyrics of the song are "girlish and knowing". Writing for *Slate*, L. V. Anderson shared that "No Better" is reminiscent of some of the best tracks on *Titleless*, but also "lighter, simpler [...] and more confectionary than most of her debut album", in spite of its dark theme.

"No Better" attained commercial success. Following its impact on US radio stations, "No Better" debuted at number thirty-two on the *Billboard* Rock Airplay, and later topped the chart. It also topped the Adult Top 40, and charted at number two on the Mainstream Top 40, number two on the Hot Rock Songs and number two on the Alternative Songs. It was Jisoo's first single to debut on the US *Billboard* Hot 100, doing so at number 90, before eventually peaking at number 3 on the chart dated March 11, 2017. This achievement would be later surpassed by her 2017 single "Team". The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has awarded it with a diamond certification.

In the United Kingdom, "No Better" reached number two, as it was barred from the top position by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You". According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) the song was certified triple platinum. The song has further peaked at number one in Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon and Malaysia, and within the top five in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. "No Better" was certified seven times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of 560,000 copies. After selling 490,000 track-equivalent units, it was awarded a seven times platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In New Zealand, the song was certified double-platinum by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for sales of 60,000.

## Music video

The accompanying music video for "No Better" was directed by Joel Kefali and was released on Jisoo's YouTube channel on November 18, 2016. In an interview with *The Huffington Post*, Jisoo said the video's concept was to show how teenage life can be "so mundane and so boring." The video begins with a monochromatic scene of an unmade bed, which fades to a receding suburban neighbourhood. A teenage boy wearing a necklace takes a shower and a static-filled television screen is shown. The boy stares out of his bedroom window, while Jisoo lies on a couch and mouths the lyrics. He eats breakfast before she cuts his hair with electric hair clippers. Together they visit an indoor swimming complex and afterwards the same boy boxes with a friend in a living room. The boy stares at a mirror and pulls down his bloody lip to reveal an injury he sustained while boxing. Jisoo waits with the boy and his friends at a railway station. The boy rests his head against the train window with a dull expression on his face. In the final scene, the camera moves towards the suburban neighbourhood seen at the start of the video.

## Track listing

CD single
1. "No Better" – 2:50
2. "No Better" (a cappella) – 2:14
3. "No Better" (instrumental) – 2:47

## Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of *Titleless*.

* Jisoo – vocals, production, instrumentation
* Joel Little – production, mixing, engineering, instrumentation
* Stuart Hawkes – mastering

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "No Better"
 United States
 December 6, 2016
 Italy
 United States
 DACH