Songfacts®:

• Released through Republic and Mercury Records as Post Malone's first single of 2023, "Chemical" features an upbeat, pop-tinged sound, a contrast from much of the artist's more moody and somber offerings. The upbeat pop jam has a nostalgic vibe, with rocking guitar, happy beats, and high-pitched singing. But don't let the cheery tune fool you: the lyrics tell the same old story of the Utah-based singer's complicated on-and-off love life, which is totally his signature style.
• Oxytocin makin' it all okay
  When I come back down, it doesn't feel the same
  Now I'm sittin' 'round, waitin' for the world to end all day
  'Cause I couldn't leave you if I tried
  
  Oxytocin is a hormone that is produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It plays a significant role in social bonding, sexual reproduction, and childbirth. Oxytocin is like the ultimate mood booster linked to trust, getting steamy, and building great relationships. Some even call it the "love hormone" for that reason. When you're cuddling someone special or having an earth-shattering climax, your oxytocin levels skyrocket!
• Post Malone starts off the song by alluding to getting a "high" from the oxytocin which he gets from being affectionate with his lover. Post only gets this chemical in dizzying blasts, and because their relationship is toxic, he feels wrecked the rest of the time.
  
  In the part before the chorus, Post Malone spills the tea on his messed up love situation.
  
  You break me, then I break my rules
  Last time was the last time, too
  
  He's tried to bounce out of there before, but for some reason, he can't resist going back.
• Then the chorus hits and we get a couple of snapshots of this dysfunctional couple in action. They're boozing it up and having a row while the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" is playing in the background.
  
  Outside of the party, smokin' in the car with you
  Seven Nation Army, fightin' at the bar with you
  Tell you that I'm sorry, tell me what I gotta do
  'Cause I can't let go, it's chemical
  
  Post knows he should get away from this girl, but it's hard because his instincts are telling him to stick around. And why is that? Well, the second verse explains how she gets the love hormone pumping through his veins.
• Post Malone teamed up with his regular collaborators Louis Bell, Andrew Watt, and Billy Walsh to create "Chemical." Ball and Watt also helped Malone produce the track.
• Post Malone stars in the music video directed by Alfred Marroquin. In the vid, he's either busting a move in front of a series of photo backdrops or puffing on a smoke in a car.
• Want another song about oxytocin? Billie Eilish recorded a song titled after the hormone for her 2021 Happier Than Ever album.
• When the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified "Circles," "Better Now" and "I Fall Apart" as Diamond on April 20, 2023, it gave Post Malone a total of eight Diamond records, surpassing the record held by Bruno Mars (6). To commemorate this milestone, Malone announced The Diamond Collection the following day, a compilation album featuring all eight of his Diamond-certified singles, as well as "Chemical."