Meaning of “Bad at Love” by Halsey

“Bad at Love” is a multi-Platinum hit song recorded and performed by American singer Halsey. The lyrics of this song see the singer (Halsey) talking about the numerous romantic relationships she has had with different people and how they all went wrong. In the song, the singer lists a series of relationships she’s had and what she did to mess up each one of them. At the end of it all, she comes to the conclusion that she isn’t good at love and hence the title “Bad at Love”.

The song, whose lyrics are partly autobiographical, was written when Halsey was battling with a broken heart caused by the demise of a romantic relationship.

In the lyrics, we also get to know the singer is bisexual because her list of ex lovers is made up of not only men but also women. FYI: In real life, Halsey is bisexual and has been open about her sexuality since she gained worldwide stardom in 2015.

American actor Leonardo DiCaprio inspired this Tune

Speaking with Billboard magazine, Halsey said while working on the song, she told her producer that she wanted it to sound like the actor Lenoardo DiCaprio wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt and “driving down the highway” in a “droptop yellow convertible car” with his friends “like in Miami Vice”. According to Halsey, anytime she hears this song or plays it, that’s the picture that pops into her mind.

That said, it is worth taking note of the fact that Halsey’s album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (on which this track appears) was inspired by the iconic 1996 romantic drama film Romeo & Juliet. That film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The pair plays the roles of the legendary star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. It is for this reason that this track and virtually all the tracks on the album carry the theme of doomed love.

Facts about “Bad at Love”

• “Bad at Love” was written by Halsey and her frequent collaborator Justin Tranter in conjunction with three other songwriters. They are as follows: Ashley Frangipane, Eric Frederic and Rogét Chahayed. The latter also served as the song’s producer, along with fellow producer Ricky Reed.
• The track officially came out on 22nd August, 2017 as the 2nd single from Halsey’s 2nd studio album entitled Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. The album, which was both critically and commercially successful, hit number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Now or Never” and “Alone” are the other two singles from that album. 
• The music video of “Bad at Love” was co-directed by Halsey.
• On the US Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at the 5th position, thereby making it the first song of Halsey’s career to make it into the top 5 of the Hot 100.

Did “Bad at Love” win a Grammy Award?

The song neither won a Grammy nor got nominated for one despite being eligible to receive a nomination at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.

Did “Bad at Love” sample any other song(s)?

No.

How did “Bat at Love” perform commercially and on the charts?

It made it to number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. This achievement marked the first time Halsey reached the top five as a lead artist on that chart. The song also reached number 1 on both the US Dance Club Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay. In addition to its great success in the United States, the song was also successful in several other nations. Some of these countries include Australia, Portugal and Canada.

As of 2018, “Bad at Love” had gone three-times platinum in the United States (selling at least three-million copies there). It also went two-times platinum in Canada (selling at least two-million copies there). Additionally, it was certified platinum in Australia and gold in Brazil.