Are the ‘20s going to be the decade of reflection and heartbreak? Hailee Steinfeld sure seems to think so, as the multi-platinum recording artist is gearing up to release more music after spending most of 2018 and 2019 focusing on her acting career. She started off the new year with the release of single, “Wrong Direction”– a somber ballad that sees her pour her heart out. If 2019 broke your heart and you’re still not over it, this is definitely a song for you.
Steinfeld co-wrote the song together with Lowell, Skyler Stonestreet, and KOZ, reflecting on her own experiences in love. The production of the song is rather simple, with her emotional delivery taking center-stage. Her ethereal vocals do echo Selena Gomez’s on a similar track, “Lose You To Love Me.” However, whereas both songs focus on the aftermath of a relationship gone south – Gomez’ track is more anthemic in its uplifting chorus, celebrating the lessons learned and her resilience.
Steinfeld, on the contrary, chose to focus on the process of how she got so lost in the relationship in the first place. It’s almost melancholic and questioning as if she herself doesn’t quite understand yet how it all happened, why she was so susceptible: “And it’s so gut-wrenchin’ (Ooh, ooh) // Fallin’ in the wrong direction (Ooh, ooh) // How did you sweep me right off my feet?”
When speaking of the song’s inspiration, Steinfeld said she’s “learned how easy it is to fall in love with the idea of falling in love, and more importantly how hard it can be to accept the reality of losing yourself in someone’s version of the world.”
The vulnerability displayed in admitting such a thing, to wanting to believe someone so badly for the sake of love and having it blind you, definitely marks a new, exciting chapter in Steinfeld’s songwriting. If this is just a taste of what Hailee’s newfound fearlessness will bring us in 2020, we are ready for more!
In the meantime, you can listen to “Wrong Direction” here: