"Better Now" is a song by the American rapper and singer
Post Malone from his second studio album, Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). It was written by Post Malone, Billy Walsh,
Louis Bell and
Frank Dukes, with production handled by the latter two. The song was released to UK
contemporary hit radio on May 25, 2018, and US contemporary hit radio on June 5, 2018, as the album's fifth and final
single.
In an interview with Pitchfork, the producer
Frank Dukes revealed information about the song's creation, stating it was "frankensteined" out of existing scraps of other studio sessions with Malone. The song's verse melody was written first, but with no words, along with a completely different beat and hook. To them, the beat did not fit the melody, and its hook felt "awkward". The vocal engineer Louis Bell then remembered an unused snippet from an old session, which was the song's chorus. It replaced the old hook in the song, and Dukes rewrote a new backing track on guitar, taking inspiration from the American band
Weezer.[2]
"Better Now" is described as a pop song.[3] The song's sheet music, published by
EMI Music Publishing at Musicnotes, shows that the song is written in the key of B♭ major, and follows a
tempo of 150
beats per minute. The vocals in the song span from the low note of F3 to the high note of G4.[4]
Chart performance
"Better Now" debuted in the top ten in various countries, including at number one in Norway, number seven in the United States, and number six in the United Kingdom, becoming his third top 10 in the latter country. The single became his fifth top 10 hit in Australia, peaking at number two. It peaked at number 3 in the United States (prevented from further chart movement by
Juice WRLD's
"Lucid Dreams" as well as
Maroon 5 and
Cardi B's "
Girls Like You").[5]
Taylor Swift told Malone that she thought the song was good, especially its hook.[6]
Music video
The official music video for "Better Now" premiered on October 5, 2018.[7]
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201832 into search. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201822 into search. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
^Arvunescu, Victor (December 23, 2018).
"Top Airplay 100 – Crăciunul aduce un nou lider!" [Top Airplay 100 – Christmas brings a new leader!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică.
Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201914 into search. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201818 into search. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
"Better Now" is a song by the American rapper and singer
Post Malone from his second studio album, Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). It was written by Post Malone, Billy Walsh,
Louis Bell and
Frank Dukes, with production handled by the latter two. The song was released to UK
contemporary hit radio on May 25, 2018, and US contemporary hit radio on June 5, 2018, as the album's fifth and final
single.
In an interview with Pitchfork, the producer
Frank Dukes revealed information about the song's creation, stating it was "frankensteined" out of existing scraps of other studio sessions with Malone. The song's verse melody was written first, but with no words, along with a completely different beat and hook. To them, the beat did not fit the melody, and its hook felt "awkward". The vocal engineer Louis Bell then remembered an unused snippet from an old session, which was the song's chorus. It replaced the old hook in the song, and Dukes rewrote a new backing track on guitar, taking inspiration from the American band
Weezer.[2]
"Better Now" is described as a pop song.[3] The song's sheet music, published by
EMI Music Publishing at Musicnotes, shows that the song is written in the key of B♭ major, and follows a
tempo of 150
beats per minute. The vocals in the song span from the low note of F3 to the high note of G4.[4]
Chart performance
"Better Now" debuted in the top ten in various countries, including at number one in Norway, number seven in the United States, and number six in the United Kingdom, becoming his third top 10 in the latter country. The single became his fifth top 10 hit in Australia, peaking at number two. It peaked at number 3 in the United States (prevented from further chart movement by
Juice WRLD's
"Lucid Dreams" as well as
Maroon 5 and
Cardi B's "
Girls Like You").[5]
Taylor Swift told Malone that she thought the song was good, especially its hook.[6]
Music video
The official music video for "Better Now" premiered on October 5, 2018.[7]
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201832 into search. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201822 into search. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
^Arvunescu, Victor (December 23, 2018).
"Top Airplay 100 – Crăciunul aduce un nou lider!" [Top Airplay 100 – Christmas brings a new leader!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică.
Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201914 into search. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201818 into search. Retrieved May 7, 2018.