Olivia Lunny Explains the Complicated Sentiment Behind ‘Sad to See You Happy’
Canadian singer-songwriter Olivia Lunny's latest track "Sad to See You Happy" is a bop about some pretty complex emotions, and we are all about it.
The new retro-indie track is as catchy as it is beautiful, and the sentiment it captures speaks right to our souls. There's a good reason Olivia is an award-winning artist, and this song shows off the facets of her talents like nothing else.
We simply had to learn more about how "Sad to See You Happy" came to be, and Olivia was more than happy to fill us in. Keep reading to find out what it's all about.
(Photo credit: Louis Brown)
Sweety High: What was the songwriting process behind "Sad To See You Happy"? What kind of sound were you looking to capture along with the song's message?
Olivia Lunny: "Sad To See You Happy" came together one afternoon with Shaun Frank, AJ Healey and Jenson Vaughan. We were messing around with a loop, which led to the guitar hook the listener first hears in the song. We loved the idea of writing a song based off of an oxymoron—loving someone to death, or being sad to see someone happy. This concept inspired our song title and hook! When writing "Sad To See You Happy" we were trying to capture the emotional roller coaster triggered by heartbreak. I feel the lyrics in this song are very relatable and allow for a playful take on an intense situation.
SH: Was the song inspired by something that really happened to you?
OL: Although this song wasn't directly taken from a personal experience of mine, I have had my fair share of breakups and definitely drew inspiration from them. I think the beautiful thing about love is it's universally felt by all. This makes writing a vulnerable ballad that much easier.
SH: Do you have any advice for anyone going through the type of heartbreak you describe on the track?
OL: Yes! I'm a very firm believer that everything happens for a reason. There are seasons in our lives for certain people and whilst parting ways is always painful, in retrospect, growth will always follow!
SH: How do you feel this song is different than what you've released in the past?
OL: I'm very proud of this song and had lots of fun writing the lyrics. There's lots of word play going on throughout the verses, and I hope the listener finds this intriguing. "Sad To See You Happy" is also very peppy and has a retro feel which is different from what I've released thus far!
SH: What is your favorite lyric from the track?
OL: The opening line is my favorite! "We're the definition of toxic, too much love and not enough logic." I believe this line is true for many of us. A "love lens" can taint our perspectives of reality so easily when infatuated. The initial lyrics of "Sad To See You Happy" wrap that up nicely.
SH: Which artists would you say are your biggest inspirations at the moment?
OL: I've been loving what Harry Styles is doing from a writing perspective. Julia Michaels and King Princess are always on heavy rotation, too!
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
OL: I'm so excited to bring the listeners along on this new chapter. Lots of new music on its way!
Love this interview with Olivia? You might also want to read what we found out from Mila Nabours about her new track "In My Thoughts."