Songfacts®:

• "Who's That" chronicles Adam Granduciel's ongoing battle with depression, wrapped in the kind of soaring, synth-drenched arena rock that has defined The War on Drugs since early highlights like "Lost in the Dream." Throughout the track, Granduciel searches for a sense of control over his spiraling thoughts, asking himself hard questions: "Where do I belong?", "Did I blow it?", and "Did I just explode?"
• The title comes right out of the chorus. Granduciel describes a "lion hanging from my teeth" that he can taste but can't quite grasp. He asks, "Who's that?" before answering his own question: "It's only my depression, baby."
  
  It treats his mental health struggles almost like an unwanted houseguest, a persistent presence he can feel, even if he can't quite shake it.
• Granduciel wrote and produced "Who's That" at his studio compound in Burbank, California. It came together in a flash:
  
  "'Who's That' was written in 10 minutes somewhere between first coffee and school drop off," Granduciel explained. "It's a song about trying to love yourself despite things we can't always control, like the anxiety, depression and self-doubt that may stand in the way of living the life we truly desire."
• To build the track's massive wall of sound, Granduciel layered 6- and 12-string guitars, keyboards, Mellotron, and a battery of vintage synths. His War on Drugs bandmates, Anthony LaMarca, Dave Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Jon Natchez, and Eliza Hardy Jones, all contribute to the track.
  
  There are also a couple of notable guest contributors: Alex Fischel of Spoon contributes piano, while fiddle player Lily Honigberg (who has played on tracks by Shaboozey and Myles Smith) adds violin.
• The music video, directed by Max Flick, captures Granduciel on a surreal late-night stroll through the streets of Burbank. Flick frequently works with director Ambar Navarro, including on videos for acts like Weyes Blood, Sparks and The Lemon Twigs.