"Sober" is a song by American singer

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

from her second solo studio album, ''

Revival Revival most often refers to: *Resuscitation of a person *Language revival of an extinct language *Revival (sports team) of a defunct team *Revival (television) of a former television series *Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously pro ...

'' (2015), included as the fifth track on the record. The song was leaked two days prior the album's release, on October 7, 2015, and was originally scheduled to be released as the album's fifth single following "

Kill Em with Kindness "Kill Em with Kindness" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio on May 3, 2016, through Interscope Records as the fourth and final single from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). Th ...

". Gomez collaborated with songwriters

Chloe Angelides Chloe Angelides (born May 21, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. She has written songs such as "Zipper" for Jason Derulo for his album '' Talk Dirty'', "Jackie (B.M.F.)" for Ciara for her album '' Jackie'', " Burnin' Up" for ...

Jacob Kasher Hindlin Jacob Kasher Hindlin (born October 1, 1983), also known as J Kash and JKash, is an American songwriter and record producer. He has written songs for artists such as Charlie Puth, Maroon 5, One Direction, Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, ...

, and

Julia Michaels Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...

, along with Norwegian duo Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, who handled production under their stage name

Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...

. Frequent collaborator Dreamlab handled the vocal production as well as

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

. Driven to create a unique sound for herself, the singer focused on lyrics that reflected personal experiences, along with referencing influential albums of her youth, specifically

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

's fourth studio album '' Stripped'' (2002). "Sober" is a

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmos ...

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

based around an expansive 1980s-influenced song structure; the production features chunky beats and

synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

stabs. Inspired by social awkwardness after a night of drinking, the track describes a dysfunctional relationship which falls apart due to her lover's complex relationship with alcohol and how it changes their personality. "Sober" was well received by

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

, many of whom deemed it an album highlight. Praise was given to the track's emotional depth, vocal delivery, and production, while drawing comparisons to the works of

Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. When Crisp disbanded in 1997, she relea ...

, and

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

. Upon release, "Sober" peaked on the US ''

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Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart at number 22.

Background

For the first time in her career, Gomez was given full creative control following her signing with

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

. She expressed frustration and constraint with the songs chosen for her earlier in her career, and felt a disconnect from the music both personally and professionally. During the creation of ''Revival'', the singer emphasized the importance of creating a distinct sound for herself, telling Nolan Feeney of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' that "there were times in my career where I sang things that just weren’t me and weren’t for me. You can hear it in my voice. You can hear it when it’s inauthentic." Gomez aimed to create autobiographical songs which shared personal stories, whether or not she wrote them. Citing the therapeutic process of writing "

The Heart Wants What It Wants "The Heart Wants What It Wants" is a song by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on November 6, 2014, through Hollywood Records, as the lead and only single from her compilation album '' For You'' (2014). The song was written by Gome ...

" for her

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' For You'' (2014), the singer was inspired to separate herself from her peers and convert personal experiences into the music of ''Revival''. For "Sober", Gomez focused on using her unique vocal tone and abilities as an actress to translate feelings and emotions through her music. The singer also told producers to focus primarily on the lyrics and vocals, referencing albums of her youth that dealt with themes of growing up in the spotlight, particularly

's album '' Stripped'' (2002). Being in full creative control, Gomez struggled on several songs including "Sober" to tell stories that were personal and elegant, yet "not over the top". To achieve her desired sound, she chose to work with multiple songwriters, including singer-songwriter

. In an interview with ''Time'', Gomez stated that for her, the track was not inspired by a single person, but instead about her experiences with drinking and social awkwardness, saying: "I would hang out with people and they would drink and they’re so fun, then the next day it would be weird." "Sober" was initially conceived during a late-night conversation between the singer and Angelides in a hotel hallway, where the pair exchanged their own personal stories on the topic. After Gomez left the hotel, Angelides wrote the lyrics to "Sober", and presented it to Gomez the following day.

Recording and release

After being shown the initial version of "Sober", Gomez brought the song to executive producers Tim Blacksmith and Danny D, who enlisted Norwegian duo Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, also known as

StarGate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...

, to work on the track. Their work during this time produced several songs for ''Revival'', including "

Same Old Love "Same Old Love" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez, who included it on and released it from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The song was written by Charli XCX, Ross Golan, and its producers Stargate and Benny Blanc ...

" and "Cologne". Additional songwriting and lyrics were written by Gomez, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, and

. Gomez worked with Eriksen and Miles Walker to record the song at

Westlake Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio with two locations in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name ...

in Los Angeles, California, as well as with Mike Anderson at The Hide Out Studios in London, England.

Leah Haywood Leah Jacqueline Cooney, known professionally as Haywood (formerly Leah Haywood), is an Australian record producer, songwriter and singer. Born in New Zealand, she grew up in Perth, Western Australia, and recorded a top-40 album, ''Leah'', re ...

provided additional background vocals. Gomez's vocals were produced by American production team Dreamlab at Westlake, and the engineering was handled by Rob Ellmore with assistance from Daniela Rivera. In its final stages, "Sober" was mixed by

Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American audio engineer and mixer. He is a three time Grammy Award recipient, having received 14 nominations for the award. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in ...

at Ninja Club Studios in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Georgia. In a March 2017 interview with Mike Wass of

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

, Hindlin, a personal friend of Gomez and the song's co-writer, revealed that "Sober" was intended to be the album's fifth single after "

". He recounted having a meeting with the singer, where she expressed her readiness to move on from the ''Revival''-era and release new music, telling him: 'I love you, but I'm ready to put out new stuff'."

Composition

"Sober" is a "booming" and "emotive"

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...

. Its "studded" and "shimmering" production consists of "chunky" beats, hand-claps, and dark '80s-influenced synthesizers. The chorus is characterized by shimmering vocal melodies, During the intro and outro of "Sober", the producers use a digitally manipulated,

chopped and screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a genre of hip-hop music and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and DJing. It was pioneered by DJ Screw, and became a staple in the ...

vocal sample. Lyrically the track is written about a failing relationship caused by a partner who abuses alcohol. The singer speaks of a man who faces a disconnect between his personality while

drunk Alcohol intoxication, commonly described in higher doses as drunkenness or inebriation, and known in overdose as alcohol poisoning, is the behavior and physical effects caused by recent consumption of alcohol. The technical term ''intoxication ...

and sober, causing the inability to forge a connection. Gomez describes a lover who can only show his true emotions while intoxicated. Later in the song she expresses the pain she feels having wasted so much time into her relationship, and decides to leave her dysfunctional lover: "You've got a hold on me / You're like a wasted dream / I gave you everything / But you don't know how to love me when you're sober". During an interview with Nicole Mastrogiannis of

iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast, radio streaming and Music Streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. Founded in August 2008, iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeart ...

, the singer explained the meaning of the album track-by-track, saying that "Sober" was about being blinded by love in an unhealthy relationship: "It's easy to run away from your feelings, but I have to understand, and people need to understand, that you have to go through everything. You have to feel it. You gotta get through the other side as best as you can, and everyone has been in that situation where you can't help it. Even if it's not even that, it's like love drunk in a way." Melissa Haggar of ''

Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

'' opined that the song is "an intimate reflection on how people can appear so different in certain lights." The song has been compared to the works of

and

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

writer Lindsay Zoladz. Additionally, Idolator writer Mike Wass compared the song to the music of other "relatable-pop" artists, such as

Alessia Cara Alessia Caracciolo (born July 11, 1996), known professionally as Alessia Cara (), is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploading acoustic covers of songs such as " Love Yourself" and ...

and

. Katherine St. Asaph of ''

'' magazine noted that "Sober" was "disarmingly peppy" and set to "the sort of story you’d find in an

Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...

single".

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Sober" received positive reviews from music critics, with several declaring it an album highlight. Comparing its production to the works of Australian recording artist

, George Griffiths of ''

Redbrick A redbrick university (or red-brick university) normally refers to one of the nine civic universities originally founded as university colleges in the major industrial cities of England in the second half of the 19th century. However, wi ...

'' deemed it the best song of Gomez's career; praising its placement as the album's musical centerpiece. He elaborated that the themes of empowerment and vulnerability present throughout ''Revival'' coalesced into "Sober" "more clearly and coherently than you could ever have imagined". In her review, ''

'' writer Melissa Haggar called "Sober" a key example of the personal and meaningful lyrics behind ''Revival'', calling the track "somber and satisfying". Haggar went on to say that the singer: "reflects similar melancholy emotions in bonus tracks like the bittersweet ballad 'Nobody' and the sweeping 'Cologne', which display her more vulnerable side."

writer Mike Wass felt that the track was among the album's best tracks, and compared it to

's single "

Here Here may refer to: Music * ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994 * ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016 * ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979 * ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012 * ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004 * ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...

" from her debut album '' Know-It-All'' (2015) and

's debut album ''

Pure Heroine ''Pure Heroine'' is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 27 September 2013 by Universal Music Group, Universal, Lava Records, Lava, and Republic Records. After several unsuccessful sessions with son ...

'' (2013), saying "With the rise of relatable-pop, this bittersweet pop anthem should get a warm reception at radio. Emo posturing doesn't get any catchier."

writer Lindsay Zoladz called "Sober" a standout, suggesting that it receive the single treatment "or — better yet — turned into a he-said/she-said mash-up with

the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

's ' The Hills'." Katherine St. Asaph of ''

'' noted that although the middle section of most albums tend to be filler, on ''Revival'' it contains the standout tracks, including "Sober". Writing for Entertainment Focus, Pip Ellwood-Hughes noted that the song contained the best vocals on the album, declaring it as a standout track along with "

Kill Em With Kindness "Kill Em with Kindness" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio on May 3, 2016, through Interscope Records as the fourth and final single from her second studio album '' Revival'' (2015). Th ...

", "

Hands to Myself "Hands to Myself" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her second studio album, ''Revival (Selena Gomez album), Revival'' (2015). It was released on January 20, 2016, as the record's third single (music), single by Interscope ...

", and "Good for You". Mike Nied of Idolator declared that "Sober" deserved to be released as a single.

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from ''Revival'' album

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

and BMI. ;Recording and management * Recorded at

Westlake Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio with two locations in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name ...

(Los Angeles, California) and The Hide Out Studios (London, England) * Mixed at Ninja Club Studios (

, Georgia) * Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City) * Published by Chloe Angelides Publishing/Where Da Kasz At ( BMI), Virginia Beach Music/

Prescription Songs Prescription Songs is an independent music publishing and licensing company founded in 2009 by Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. History Between 2013 and 2017, Prescription Songs held a joint publishing deal with Nashville-based Big Machine Records t ...

(

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

), Screaming Beauty Music/Bok Music (BMI) and EMI April Music (ASCAP) on behalf of EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (

PRS PRS or prs may refer to: Science and technology * Peripheral Reflex System, an implementation of autonomous peripheral operations in microcontrollers * Personal response system, in audience response * Phenotypic response surfaces, in medicine * P ...

) ;Personnel *

– lead vocals, songwriting *

– songwriting, production, instrumentation,

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...

* Dreamlab – vocal production * Tim Blacksmith – executive production * Danny D – executive production *

– songwriting * Jacob Kasher Hindlin – songwriting *

– songwriting * Rob Ellmore – vocal engineering * Miles Walker – recording * Mike Andersong – recording *

– background vocals * Phil Than – mixing for RiotProof Productions * Daniela Rivera – additional mixing engineering, mixing engineering assistant * Chris Gehringer – mastering

Charts

References

{{Selena Gomez 2010s ballads 2015 songs Interscope Records singles Pop ballads Selena Gomez songs Song recordings produced by Stargate (record producers) Songs about alcohol Songs written by Chloe Angelides Songs written by Jacob Kasher Songs written by Julia Michaels Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen Synth-pop ballads Torch songs Breakup songs