Who's Gonna Love Me Now

Album: New Age Norms 2 (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett told ABC news that "Who's Gonna Love Me Now" is the "start of the hero's journey" told in the album New Age Norms 2.

    The song has Willett singing about how he turned his back on straight society and now finds himself feeling down and frightened, fearing no one is going to love him.

    All those times when I imagined
    What it'd be like to have my freedom
    Not be so uptight, live my best life
    Oh what a fool I was only dreamin'


    He doesn't see his move to reject society as a strength, anymore. It was just weakness, and now it's gotten him in a difficult position.

    Face down in the pavement
    I could use a little healing
    Wonder if I held you
    Could you see past all my weakness


    The song ends with Willett lost in this state of disappointment, but it's only the first part of the longer narrative that is New Age Norms 2.
  • This was the first single released off New Age Norms 2. Cold War Kids put it out February 10, 2020, seven months ahead of the album.
  • Cold War Kids made two videos for the song. The first has Willett up late in a messy apartment, seemingly writing this song. At the end of the video, his bandmates appear sitting on his couch. A second video, released June 24, 2020, feels more like the definitive video for this song.

    Mezzy, who previously worked on the Lil Peep documentary (among other notable projects), directed the second one.

    The story in the second "Who's Gonna Love Me Now" video follows the narrative started in the video for "You Already Know," the second single released off New Age Norms 2.

    The "You Already Know" video shows three young adults cruising down a winding road. "Who's Gonna Love Me Now" shows them at the end of that cruise, their car broken down in the city. The characters bicker for most of the video. Near the end, two of them make up over cigarettes. Everything seems to be shaping up nicely until one of them starts bleeding out his eyes and becomes a zombie.

    The video series was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

When Rock Belonged To Michelob

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.