Songfacts®:

• Recorded during a difficult period in Halsey's life as she struggled with lupus and a T-cell disorder, "I Never Loved You" is both an exploration of a turbulent relationship and a metaphor for her health struggles. It's a love song, but not in the traditional sense. Here, love is complicated, messy, and entangled with pain.
• The song opens with Halsey, quite literally, on the operating table. She's dying, and her partner or ex-partner shows up too late. The missed connection sets the stage for the chorus, where Halsey imagines her partner moving on after her death, finally free of the guilt or shame that might have clouded their relationship. Then, the kicker:
  
  And you can rest your head down and not feel any shame
  I never loved you
  I never loved you
  I never loved you in vain
  
  The title of the song - "I Never Loved You" - is misleading. Of course, Halsey did love this person, and it wasn't for nothing. There's a deep sense of regret in the song, but also a quiet acknowledgment of love's complexity, the way it can hurt and heal in equal measure.
• Halsey never explicitly names who the song is about. "I Never Loved You" feels intensely personal, but it's also part of her concept album, The Great Impersonator, which explores different personas and eras. This raises the possibility that the relationship in the song might be a composite of experiences or even partly fictionalized.
• Halsey wrote "I Never Loved You" with Michael Uzowuru and Tyler Johnson. Together, they crafted an ethereal ballad that draws clear inspiration from the dramatic style of Kate Bush, whose influence is evident in the song's sweeping structure.
  
  Michael Uzowuru (Beyoncé, SZA) co-produced several of The Great Impersonator tracks, including "Lucky" and "Ego."
  
  Tyler Johnson is one of Harry Styles' songwriting partners. He co-produced 10 of the 13 tracks on Styles' Harry's House album.
• The Great Impersonator is a tribute to the artists who've shaped Halsey's sound over the years. While "I Never Loved You" echoes the spirit of Kate Bush, elsewhere on the album you'll find nods for the likes of Amy Lee of Evanescence, ("Lonely Is The Muse") Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries ("Ego"), and Britney Spears.("Lucky"). Each song is like a musical costume, with Halsey slipping in and out of different styles, all while keeping her own distinct voice at the forefront.