Songfacts®:

• Sombr (real name: Shane Boose) was 19 when he released his breakthrough song "Back to Friends," where he poses a question many have asked after a romantic encounter with a supposedly former love: "How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed?"
  
  He told iHeartRadio the song was "written about when the lines become blurred between lovers and friends, and having to navigate going back to friends after sharing such intimate moments with someone."
• The inspiration, as is often the case with heartbreak anthems, comes from personal experience, a "really dark point" in his life. For Sombr, emotional turmoil is something of a creative goldmine, but it means he has to revisit the pain every time he performs the song.
  
  "Every night when I play it, I relive everything I was feeling that night when I wrote it," he told MTV. "All the emotions come back."
• Sombr produced the track, which leans into an indie-rock sound. He also pulled a multi-instrumentalist flex by handling bass, drums, keyboards, and piano. The other musicians are:
  
  Benny Bock: keyboards and piano
  Kane Ritchotte: drums
  Mason Stoops: guitar
• The track was mixed by Rich Costey. A renowned American producer and engineer, he's known for his work for artists like Muse and Foo Fighters.
• The video, directed by Gus Black, takes place at one of those awkward house parties where your ex is there and you're running hot, wondering how she can act so casual after all you've been through together. It earned Best Alternative at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, where Sombr performed the song along with "12 To 12." Sombr was nominated for Best New Artist but lost to Alex Warren.
• Sombr had been making music since high school; after he posted his song "Caroline," record labels took notice, and in 2023, when he was 17, he dropped out and signed with Warner Records. "Back to Friends" was released at the end of 2024. In August 2025 it was included on his debut album, I Barely Know Her. True to form, he wrote every song on the album.
• Sombr performed "Back to Friends" from behind a piano during his Saturday Night Live debut on November 8, 2025.