Past Life

Album: Nicotine (2020)
Charted: 77
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Trevor Daniel wrote this trap-infused melancholic R&B song with Billie Eilish's songwriter-producer brother Finneas. He released it on March 6, 2020 as the second single from his debut album, Nicotine.
  • Selena Gomez teamed up with Trevor Daniel for a remix of the single, which the singer dropped on June 26, 2020. It finds the pair supporting each other as they try to let go of past relationships.
  • During a short Q&A video, Daniel told Gomez he loved her take on the song. He then asked what "Past Life" means to her, to which Gomez replied:

    "When I heard the song the first time, I loved the fact that it was kind of like a story about all the things that we tend to hold onto and the patterns that we have. And I'm very, very vocal about my personal experiences making decisions that aren't necessarily healthy for me."

    Gomez has spoken in the past about being the victim of emotional abuse in a past relationship, but then using the experience to become stronger. Her songs "Lose You to Love Me" and "Look at Her Now" reflect her moving on after she closed that chapter of her life.
  • The music video starts off with Selena Gomez and Trevor Daniel singing the song on Instagram Live together. The camera zooms in on them and as it pans around their faces their features morph into sweeping landscapes, from beaches and deserts to snowy mountains.

    Gal Muggia and Vania Heymann directed the clip. The Israeli filmmaking team have twice been nominated for Best Music Video Grammys: Coldplay's "Up & Up" and Tove Lo's "Glad He's Gone."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.