Never Really Over

"Never Really Over" delves into the complex and often frustrating emotional landscape of post-breakup attachment. The core message of the song is that certain significant relationships leave an indelible mark on a person, making it nearly impossible to ever truly and completely move on. Perry herself explained that the song explores how all relationships, whether good or bad, become a part of who you are. It's about accepting both the light and the dark aspects of a past love and recognizing that even the painful experiences can lead to growth and self-awareness.

The lyrics articulate the struggle of trying to maintain emotional distance from an ex-partner while being constantly pulled back by memories and lingering feelings. It captures the universal experience of thinking you have moved on, only to find that a thought, a name, or a memory can trigger a relapse into old emotions. Lines like, "I guess I could try hypnotherapy, I got to rewire this brain / 'Cause I can't even go to the internet without checking your name," speak to the modern challenges of disconnecting in a digital world. The song portrays a cyclical pattern: the belief that it's over, the act of thinking about the person, the fantasy of them coming back, and the subsequent need to 'get over' them all over again. It’s a candid look at the vulnerability and lack of control one can feel when a past love still holds power over their heart and mind. While some fans have speculated the song is about Perry's on-and-off relationship with Orlando Bloom, its themes are designed to be universally relatable.

The narrative begins with an admission of losing self-control as thoughts of a past lover begin to resurface. The protagonist is wary, not wanting to fall back into the 'rabbit hole' of this old relationship, making a solemn promise to herself not to go down that path again. She describes a constant internal battle, where she attempts to draw a definitive line and move on, yet occasionally finds herself tripping over that line, consumed by memories of her ex.

A significant amount of time, two years, has passed, but it feels like no time at all as her mind is effortlessly pulled back to the past. She believed the relationship was truly finished, but now realizes with a sense of resignation that it's 'never really over'. She reminisces about the chaotic nature of their time together, acknowledging it was a 'mess' but simultaneously questioning if it was also 'the best'. This duality of feeling underscores her internal conflict and the difficulty of letting go.

The central hook of the song revolves around this idea that the end of a relationship doesn't signify its true conclusion. Overthinking becomes a dangerous catalyst; if she dwells on the past, she imagines a potential reunion, which would only force her to go through the painful process of getting over him all over again. This circular pattern highlights the central theme of being trapped in a loop of emotional attachment.

In a moment of modern-day relatability, she contemplates extreme measures to cleanse her mind, like hypnotherapy, to 'rewire' her brain. The pervasiveness of her ex's memory is so strong that even a simple act like browsing the internet becomes a minefield, as she can't resist the urge to search for his name. This verse grounds the abstract emotional struggle in concrete, contemporary actions.

The song builds on this theme of inescapable connection, suggesting that some bonds are so deep they become a permanent part of one's being. The repeated lines and the propulsive beat create a feeling of both frantic energy and inevitability, mirroring the protagonist's struggle between wanting to move forward and being perpetually pulled back. The story concludes not with a resolution, but with the continued acknowledgment of this persistent, unresolved connection, a cycle of remembering, longing, and the difficult, ongoing process of moving on.

"Never Really Over" was released on May 31, 2019, by Capitol Records. The song's creation is notable as it was inspired by and interpolates the 2017 song "Love You Like That" by Norwegian singer Dagny. Consequently, Dagny Norvoll Sandvik, Michelle Buzz, and Jason Gill, the writers of "Love You Like That," are credited as songwriters on "Never Really Over". Dagny's team was contacted by Perry's in early 2019, informing them that Perry's team had been inspired and created their own version of the track.

Katy Perry co-wrote the song with a team of writers including Gino Barletta, Hayley Warner, and the producers. The production was handled by the Australian duo Dreamlab (Leah Haywood and Daniel James) and German DJ Zedd. This marked Perry's second collaboration with Zedd in 2019, following their track "365". Perry mentioned that she worked on the song while she was on tour, which was unusual for her, and brought the nearly-finished track to Zedd, who was impressed and finalized the production. The song was recorded at various studios, including Studios 301 in Sydney and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Initially released as a standalone single, it was later included as the opening track on her sixth studio album, Smile (2020).

"Never Really Over" is built on a foundation of propulsive rhythm and a clever, conversational rhyme scheme that enhances its pop appeal. The song has a tempo of approximately 100 beats per minute (BPM) and is in the key of A♭ major. Its rhythmic structure is driven by a steady, insistent house and bubblegum beat, creating a sense of constant forward motion. This is most prominent in the post-chorus, where the lyrical delivery speeds up, creating a feeling of tumbling, overwhelming thoughts that Perry can't control, perfectly mirroring the song's theme of being caught in an emotional loop.

The rhyme scheme is relatively straightforward but effective. The pre-chorus, for example, uses a simple AAAA pattern ("Draw the line / I do, I do / But once in a while, I trip up / and I cross the line / And I think of you"), though the rhymes are more slant than perfect, creating a natural, conversational flow. The chorus is wordy and relies on the repetition of the word "over" to create its hook: "Just because it's over doesn't mean it's really over / And if I think it over, maybe you'll be coming over again / And I'll have to get over you all over again." This repetition, combined with the fast-paced rhythm, makes the chorus incredibly memorable and reinforces the central concept of a cyclical, inescapable feeling.

"Never Really Over" marks a return to form for Katy Perry, blending her signature pop sensibilities with fresh electronic textures. Musically, the song is a vibrant electropop and dance-pop track characterized by a propulsive synth-heavy production, a steady house beat, and a rapid, almost breathless vocal delivery in the chorus. The production, helmed by Zedd and Dreamlab, features Zedd's signature ticking clock sounds, adding a sense of urgency and relentless forward motion that mirrors the lyrical theme of inescapable, recurring thoughts.

Lyrically, the song employs a direct and conversational narrative voice, making the experience highly relatable. The use of specific, modern imagery like, "I can't even go to the internet without even checking your name," grounds the abstract feeling of heartache in a concrete, contemporary reality. Perry’s vocal performance is a key stylistic element. She uses a staccato phrasing in the verses, which builds tension that is released in the soaring, multi-layered vocals of the explosive chorus. This dynamic vocal delivery effectively conveys the emotional journey from anxious contemplation to overwhelming feeling. The song's structure relies heavily on repetition, particularly the titular phrase, which acts as a powerful, earworm hook, drilling the central theme into the listener's mind.

"Never Really Over" was met with critical acclaim upon its release, with many critics hailing it as a significant comeback for Katy Perry and her best single in years. Publications praised its catchy hook, strong vocal performance, and sophisticated electropop production, viewing it as a return to the powerful pop form of her Teenage Dream era. The song performed well commercially, debuting at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it her 19th top 20 hit in the country. It also reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia and Canada, and the top 20 in the UK. The single has been certified Platinum in the United States.

The track's creation, which samples the 2017 song "Love You Like That" by Norwegian singer Dagny, brought significant attention to the original artist. The music video, directed by Philippa Price, was also a talking point for its vibrant, 70s-inspired hippie aesthetic and its symbolic depiction of a heartbreak-healing retreat. While initially a standalone single, it became the opening track for her 2020 album Smile. Years after its release, "Never Really Over" is often cited by fans and critics as a standout track in Perry's later discography, appreciated for its emotional depth and enduring pop craftsmanship.

The music video for "Never Really Over," directed by Philippa Price, is rich with symbolism and metaphors that visualize the song's lyrical themes of healing and inescapable emotional ties. The video is set in a surreal, cult-like wellness retreat in Malibu, California, where Perry and others engage in various therapies to mend broken hearts.

• The Retreat: The entire setting functions as a metaphor for the internal and external processes of trying to heal from a past relationship. It's a place for "new age, esoteric, California, healing," as Perry described it, representing a concentrated effort to force recovery.
• Heart Imagery: Hearts are a recurring motif, from heart-shaped cupping marks to a tree that grows heart-shaped fruit watered by tears. This symbolizes how pain (the cupping, the tears) is being processed and transformed in an attempt to cultivate new love or self-love.
• Tug-of-War: A scene featuring a tug-of-war with heart-shaped hoops represents the literal push and pull of a tumultuous relationship and the internal struggle of letting go.
• Matching Tattoos: Perry has a broken-heart tattoo on her hand, symbolizing a connection to a former partner who presumably has the other half. This visually represents the idea that a piece of her is missing or still connected to him.
• The Cyclical Ending: The video ends with Perry, seemingly healed, leaving the retreat only to see a newcomer arrive. A glimpse of their hand suggests a connection, and Perry turns back, reinforcing the song's central theme that the process is a loop and it's "never really over."

The most significant recurring element in "Never Really Over" is the lyrical hook and title phrase, "it's never really over." This phrase is repeated extensively throughout the chorus and post-chorus, acting as the song's central thesis and emotional anchor. Its constant repetition drills home the core message that the emotional residue of a significant relationship persists long after the formal breakup. The phrase is presented with a sense of resignation and dawning realization, solidifying the theme of being trapped in an emotional cycle.

Another key recurring motif is the idea of "thinking it over" leading to the possibility of the ex "coming over." This lyrical play highlights the dangerous link between rumination and relapse. It suggests that the act of dwelling on the past can manifest a desire for reunion, which in turn necessitates having to "get over you all over again." This wordplay emphasizes the cyclical and self-perpetuating nature of the struggle.

Musically, the song features a recurring staccato synth progression and a rapid-fire vocal delivery in the chorus that serves as a musical motif. This sonic signature, borrowed from Dagny's "Love You Like That," creates a feeling of breathlessness and urgency, mirroring the anxious, racing thoughts of the narrator.