Meaning of “Betrayed” by Lil Xan

“Betrayed” is the title of a 2017 song by American rapper and singer Lil Xan. The song deals with a number of personal things in Xan’s life, most notably his struggles with the abuse of Alprazolam (known as Xanax). Xanax is a type of psychoactive drug used in managing conditions such as anxiety disorders. For years, Lil Xan was addicted to this drug. His addition to this drug is what got him the stage name Lil Xan. The word “Xan” apparently coming from the word “Xanax”.

Aside Xan’s struggles with Xanax addiction and its negative effects, the song also slightly touches on his personal relationships with his former lovers.  

What Lil Xan has said about this song

In an interview with Genius, Xan referred to “Betrayal” as a purely anti-Xanax song. He said the lyrics of this track encourage people to stay away from drugs. According to him, the very day he wrote this song, he was “off a Xanax” and that helped him create this song. During that interview, he revealed he was completely off Xanax. It is however not clear whether he went back to abusing it. Why do we say this? In late 2018, Xan checked himself into rehab.

In another interview with MTV, Xan said once again that “Betrayal” was inspired by his struggles with addiction. According to him, his addiction got so severe that he felt the need to start an anti-Xanax movement called Xanarchy. He said he was trying to use the song “Betrayed” to promote that movement.

Facts about “Betrayed”

• Lil Xan co-wrote “Betrayed” with Adrian Bruesch and Keeley. According to Xan, he wrote this song in just 20 minutes.
• The New York based music producer Bobby Johnson Beats produced this song. In the song’s intro, Xan gives a shoutout to Johnson.
• June 19, 2017 was the official release date of “Betrayed”. It was released as the second single from Xan’s album Total Xanarchy. Total Xanarchy came out in April 2018 as Xan’s debut studio album. This track is the most outstanding song on that album.
• This track was responsible for catapulting Xan into the limelight. It transformed Xan from a relatively unknown rapper to a star all over the world.

How did “Betrayed” perform commercially?

On the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, this anti-drug song reached number 64. It did even better in Canada and Sweden where it peaked at positions 49 and 11 respectively. As of 2018, the song had sold over a million copies in the United States.