Hope

The song "Hope" by The Chainsmokers featuring Winona Oak is a poignant reflection on a failed relationship, exploring the painful realization that what was perceived as love was merely a deceptive sense of hope. The lyrics delve into the perspectives of two individuals looking back at a toxic dynamic. They convey a message about the danger of building a relationship on spurious feelings rather than genuine love. The central theme is the clarity that comes with hindsight; after the relationship has ended, the narrators can see the manipulation, the lies ("sleeping in a bed full of lies"), and the emotional damage it caused. The song suggests that one partner had a manipulative hold over the other, creating artificial highs that masked the underlying emotional lows and stunted personal growth ("You only seemed tall 'cause you stunted my growth"). Ultimately, "Hope" is about the difficult but necessary process of re-evaluating a past romance and understanding that the intense desire and longing felt were not for the person themselves, but for the unattainable idea of them—a sentiment captured in the line, "I only wanted you 'cause I couldn't have you."

The narrative of the song unfolds from two perspectives, reflecting on a past, damaging relationship. It begins with the female voice, portrayed by Winona Oak, recalling the intense devotion she once felt, a willingness to metaphorically "walk through fire" for her partner. Now, however, she is haunted by the memories of his apartment and their shared past, viewing them as a "bad trip" she desperately wants to erase. She acknowledges the painful goodbyes, recognizing with the clarity of hindsight that the relationship was built on a foundation of lies. She realizes her partner had a manipulative power over her, making her feel euphoric ("high") only because he had pushed her to such emotional depths ("low"). A poignant realization dawns: her intense desire for him wasn't love but was born from his unavailability. The feeling she clung to was merely the hope of what could be, not the reality of love.

The male perspective, voiced by Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers, echoes this sentiment of a dysfunctional dynamic. He describes a recurring cycle of losing control, a "bender," and the false belief that his partner's return would restore his sense of self. He now understands that he never truly had control and that her affection was a form of trickery. The perceived "magic" between them was just a fleeting, superficial high. Both voices unite in the pre-chorus and chorus, reinforcing the shared experience of being in a relationship that stunted their personal growth and was built on deceit. The central theme is the painful but empowering epiphany that what they mistook for love was, in fact, just a desperate hope for a connection that was never real. The repetition of this idea underscores the difficulty and importance of distinguishing genuine affection from the illusion of it, especially in the aftermath of a toxic entanglement.

"Hope" was released on December 14, 2018, as the final single from The Chainsmokers' second studio album, Sick Boy. The song is a collaboration with Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak. The creation of the song began in a 2018 writing session between Winona Oak, Kate Morgan, and Chris Lyon. Oak shared a personal story about a heartbreak she experienced when she was younger, and from that emotional conversation, the initial version of "Hope" was born. She described the original version as a very slow song about her ex-boyfriend. The demo was later sent to The Chainsmokers, who were impressed by it. They invited Oak to their studio in Los Angeles, where they reworked the track, speeding it up and adding their signature electronic production, which Oak felt "brought it to life" and added "so much magic to it." The song was co-written by Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers, along with Winona Oak, Chris Lyon, and Kate Morgan. Taggart and Pall are also credited as producers, alongside Chris Lyon.

The rhyme scheme in the verses of "Hope" is largely AABB (lips/did, trip/been), creating a simple, memorable structure that emphasizes the lyrical content. The pre-chorus follows a similar pattern. The chorus, however, relies more on the repetition of key phrases and internal rhymes like "low, low, low" and "grow-grow-growth" to create a rhythmic and emphatic hook. The song's tempo is moderate, set at 105 BPM, which allows the emotional weight of the lyrics to resonate without feeling rushed. The rhythm is driven by a combination of electronic drum patterns and light synth melodies, creating a beat that is both danceable and melancholic. This juxtaposition of a somewhat upbeat, tropical-feeling rhythm with somber lyrics is a characteristic stylistic choice for The Chainsmokers, creating a bittersweet atmosphere that reflects the song's theme of finding clarity after pain.

Musically, "Hope" blends genres, incorporating elements of pop and electronic dance music. Dancing Astronaut described its style as having a "tropical-house feel" created by its rhythm and light synth patterns, which serve as a soothing backdrop to the vocals. The track also incorporates harmonic vocals and drum hits that push it into the indie-pop category, showcasing The Chainsmokers' versatility. The song features a duet structure, with verses sung separately by Winona Oak and Andrew Taggart, representing the two sides of the failed relationship before their voices combine in the chorus. This narrative technique provides a more complete picture of the shared, yet personal, experience of heartbreak. Lyrically, the song uses direct and emotionally charged language to convey its message. The contrast between euphoric and devastating feelings is a key literary device, as seen in the line, "You make me feel high 'cause you had me so low." This juxtaposition highlights the manipulative and volatile nature of the relationship.

"Hope" was released as the final track of The Chainsmokers' building album Sick Boy in December 2018. The album itself was an experimental project where the duo released a new song each month, culminating in the full 10-song collection. "Hope" served as the capstone to this year-long musical journey. The song helped to further define The Chainsmokers' evolving sound, which moved to blur the lines between EDM, pop, and indie music. It continued their exploration of darker, more emotion-driven themes that were prevalent throughout the Sick Boy project. The collaboration introduced a wider audience to Swedish artist Winona Oak, marking her biggest writing credit and feature to date at the time. While not one of their chart-topping smashes like "Closer" or "Don't Let Me Down," "Hope" was well-received by fans for its heartfelt lyrics and more subdued, alternative-dance production, showcasing the duo's artistic versatility.

The lyrics of "Hope" employ several powerful metaphors to convey the emotional landscape of a toxic relationship.

• "Walked through fire to kiss your lips": This opening line is a hyperbole that symbolizes the immense devotion and willingness to endure pain for the partner, highlighting the narrator's initial, all-consuming passion.
• "See your old apartment, like a bad trip": This simile compares the memory of a physical place to a negative psychedelic experience, effectively communicating the lingering trauma and psychological distress associated with the relationship.
• "Sleeping in a bed full of lies": This metaphor represents the foundation of deceit upon which the relationship was built. The bed, typically a symbol of intimacy and trust, is instead portrayed as a space of dishonesty.
• "You only seemed tall 'cause you stunted my growth": This is a powerful metaphor for the illusion of a partner's superiority. It suggests the narrator's personal development was so inhibited by the toxic dynamic that her partner appeared more significant and powerful than he actually was. Her growth was sacrificed, creating a skewed perspective of him.

The most significant recurring phrase in the song is the line, "That wasn't love, that wasn't love, that was just hope." This phrase acts as the central thesis of the song and is repeated in the chorus and post-chorus. Its repetition serves to hammer home the narrator's ultimate epiphany about the nature of their past relationship. It's a moment of painful clarity, where they distinguish between genuine affection and the desperate wish for it. Another recurring motif is the idea of stunted growth, articulated in the line, "'Cause you stunted my grow-grow-growth." This phrase is crucial as it explains the power imbalance and the damaging effect of the relationship on the narrator's self-development. The dual-perspective narrative, with both Winona Oak and Andrew Taggart singing about a similar toxic experience, serves as a structural motif, suggesting that this kind of emotional deception and self-realization is a universal experience.