# Lovely (Billie Eilish and Khalid song)
**Lovely** (styled "lovely") is a song by the American singers [Billie Eilish](https://www.edgepedia.org/billie-eilish) and Khalid, released on April 19, 2018, by Darkroom and [Interscope Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/interscope-records) as the lead single from the soundtrack album *13 Reasons Why: Season 2 (Music from the Original TV Series)* for the Netflix drama *13 Reasons Why*.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/lovely-single/1369379667) Written by Eilish, her brother [Finneas O'Connell](https://www.edgepedia.org/finneas-oconnell), and Khalid Robinson, and produced by Finneas, it is a somber ballad about feeling trapped inside one's own mind that went on to earn a Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMfpp0-lnw4)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | April 19, 2018, Darkroom/Interscope Records, digital download and streaming; 3 minutes 20 seconds[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/lovely-single/1369379667) • [3](https://13reasonswhy.fandom.com/wiki/Lovely_%28Song%29) |
| Writers and producer | Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, and Khalid Robinson; produced by Finneas O'Connell[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMfpp0-lnw4) |
| Origin | Written casually at Eilish's family home after she and Finneas hung out with Khalid as friends[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/) |
| Musical profile | Key of E minor, 115 beats per minute, chord progression Cmaj7–Em–Bm[5](https://findatwiki.com/Lovely_%28Billie_Eilish_and_Khalid_song%29) |
| Certifications | RIAA Gold on July 13, 2018; later RIAA Diamond for 10,000,000 track-equivalent units[6](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GP_July2018-1.pdf) |
| Chart peaks | Number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100; number 47 on the UK Singles Chart, Eilish's first UK chart entry[7](https://melodyinsight.com/billie-eilish-lovely-lyrics-meaning/) |
| Music video | Published April 26, 2018; directed by Matty Peacock and Taylor Cohen; about 2.49 billion views on YouTube[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw) |
## Background and writing
The song grew out of a low-pressure meeting rather than a planned studio session. Eilish had connected with Khalid on Twitter in 2016, and Khalid attended one of her early shows in Los Angeles. As she told [Zane Lowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/zane-lowe) on Beats 1, "Me and my brother hung out with Khalid in our house and it was literally 'this is us hanging out as friends' and we ended up writing a song."[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/) • [3](https://13reasonswhy.fandom.com/wiki/Lovely_%28Song%29) Eilish and Finneas co-wrote the song with Khalid, and Finneas built the production around minimalist piano and strings.[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/)
The title is deliberate irony. The lyrics describe being unable to leave a mental prison: the chorus runs "Isn't it lovely, all alone? / Heart made of glass, my mind of stone," and the pre-chorus holds out a distant hope, "I know some day I'll make it out of here / Even if it takes all night or a hundred years."[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw)
## Music and lyrics
According to sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group at Musicnotes.com, the song is in [E minor](https://www.edgepedia.org/e-minor) at a moderately fast 115 beats per minute, following a basic chord sequence of Cmaj7–Em–Bm.[5](https://findatwiki.com/Lovely_%28Billie_Eilish_and_Khalid_song%29) American Songwriter describes the progression as hypnotizing, with the chordal repetition simulating depression's unrelenting grip.[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/)
The arrangement is sparse. Strings and a downcast piano precede the first verse, and a wailing violin floats above Finneas's piano as the song closes on "Hello, welcome home."[9](https://www.complex.com/music/a/graham-corrigan/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely) • [4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/) Eilish takes the lead on the first verse while Khalid contributes subtly before joining as a full duet partner; on the second verse the roles switch.[10](https://themusicalhype.com/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely-track-review/) Graham Corrigan of *Complex* described Eilish's vocals as "smoky" and acting "as quicksand, dragging the listener down to a dark place," with Khalid's voice an "interesting counterpoint" that cuts through the straining strings where she melts into the instrumentation.[9](https://www.complex.com/music/a/graham-corrigan/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely) *Time* noted that the song never breaks into cathartic release, instead peaking with an a cappella duet.[11](https://time.com/5247823/5-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-this-week-49/)
## Release and soundtrack context
Darkroom and Interscope released "Lovely" on April 19, 2018, for digital download and streaming as the lead single for the *13 Reasons Why* season 2 soundtrack album.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/lovely-single/1369379667) In the series, the song plays in the episode "Bye," during the scene in which Clay talks with Hannah for the last time before her funeral and finishes his semicolon tattoo.[3](https://13reasonswhy.fandom.com/wiki/Lovely_%28Song%29) The soundtrack also included an original song by [Selena Gomez](https://www.edgepedia.org/selena-gomez) and contributions from [OneRepublic](https://www.edgepedia.org/onerepublic) and Logic, and a portion of its sales proceeds went to the Trevor Project and the Crisis Text Line.[12](https://time.com/5278376/13-reasons-why-season-two-netflix/)
Eilish later added "Lovely" to the expanded edition of her EP *[Don't Smile at Me](https://www.edgepedia.org/dont-smile-at-me)*, which also features her 2015 viral hit "Ocean Eyes."[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/) The show's music supervisor, Season Kent, cited the collaboration as a success of the show's music placement: by June 2018 the song had reached 43 million streams.[13](https://www.motionpictures.org/2018/06/13-reasons-whys-music-supervisor-on-selecting-music-for-the-mayhem-of-high-school/)
## Commercial performance and certifications
The single reached number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7](https://melodyinsight.com/billie-eilish-lovely-lyrics-meaning/)
The RIAA awarded the song Gold on July 13, 2018, listing it as an Alternative release on Darkroom/Interscope Records with a release date of April 19, 2018.[6](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GP_July2018-1.pdf) [Music Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/music-canada) also lists a certification for Billie Eilish & Khalid's "Lovely" in its Gold and Platinum database.[14](https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Lovely+Billie+Eilish+%26+Khalid) In 2025, "lovely" appeared in Apple Music's list of the 50 most-listened songs of the decade.[15](https://los40.com/2025/07/08/mucho-rap-algo-de-pop-y-ni-rastro-de-taylor-swift-en-las-50-canciones-mas-escuchadas-de-la-decada-en-apple-music/)
## Critical reception
The song was met with widespread critical acclaim on release.[5](https://findatwiki.com/Lovely_%28Billie_Eilish_and_Khalid_song%29) Jon Blistein of *Rolling Stone* called it a "smoldering ballad." Raisa Bruner of *Time* described it as "somber" and "haunting," writing that there is "little to celebrate in the dark, brooding lyrics, but still 'Lovely' finds beautiful sounds in that pained place."[11](https://time.com/5247823/5-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-this-week-49/) Mike Nied of Idolator praised the "heartrending" strings and "atmospheric" production, and David Smyth of the *Evening Standard* called Eilish's and Khalid's vocals a "grandiose duet."[5](https://findatwiki.com/Lovely_%28Billie_Eilish_and_Khalid_song%29) The Musical Hype gave the track four stars out of five, highlighting the vocal chemistry and noting that the pre-chorus is more intense than the chorus itself.[10](https://themusicalhype.com/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely-track-review/)
## Music video
The official video was published on April 26, 2018, on Eilish's YouTube channel, directed by Matty Peacock and Taylor Cohen, and had reached about 2.49 billion views.[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw) Eilish, then 16, developed the concept, which portrays being trapped with another person: she and Khalid wander inside a glass box they cannot escape while a cloud above them rains, the rain freezes into ice covering the walls, and the two hold on to each other; when the ice melts, the cube is empty.[4](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/)
## Legacy
A song that initially behaved quietly on release became one of the defining ballads of Eilish's early career, sustained by streaming and its placement in *13 Reasons Why*. Its endurance shows in long-term recognition: in 2025 it ranked among Apple Music's most-listened songs of the decade, and its video view count places it among the platform's most-watched music videos.[15](https://los40.com/2025/07/08/mucho-rap-algo-de-pop-y-ni-rastro-de-taylor-swift-en-las-50-canciones-mas-escuchadas-de-la-decada-en-apple-music/) • [8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw)
## References
1. [lovely - Single, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/lovely-single/1369379667)
2. [lovely (official audio), YouTube, Universal Music Group credits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMfpp0-lnw4)
3. [Lovely (Song), 13 Reasons Why Wiki, Fandom](https://13reasonswhy.fandom.com/wiki/Lovely_%28Song%29)
4. [The Haunting Meaning Behind "Lovely" by Billie Eilish (with Khalid), American Songwriter](https://americansongwriter.com/the-haunting-meaning-behind-lovely-by-billie-eilish-with-khalid/)
5. [Lovely (Billie Eilish and Khalid song), Find at WIKI](https://findatwiki.com/Lovely_%28Billie_Eilish_and_Khalid_song%29)
6. [RIAA Gold & Platinum Awards, July 2018](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GP_July2018-1.pdf)
7. [Billie Eilish - "lovely" Lyrics Meaning, MelodyInsight](https://melodyinsight.com/billie-eilish-lovely-lyrics-meaning/)
8. [Billie Eilish, Khalid - lovely (Official Music Video), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw)
9. [Billie Eilish and Khalid Join Forces on "Lovely", Complex](https://www.complex.com/music/a/graham-corrigan/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely)
10. [Billie Eilish & Khalid, 'Lovely' | Track Review, The Musical Hype](https://themusicalhype.com/billie-eilish-khalid-lovely-track-review/)
11. [5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week, Time](https://time.com/5247823/5-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-this-week-49/)
12. [13 Reasons Why Divided the Internet. Here's How Netflix Is Addressing the Controversy Ahead of Season 2, Time](https://time.com/5278376/13-reasons-why-season-two-netflix/)
13. [13 Reasons Why's Music Supervisor on Selecting Music for the Mayhem of High School, The Credits](https://www.motionpictures.org/2018/06/13-reasons-whys-music-supervisor-on-selecting-music-for-the-mayhem-of-high-school/)
14. [Gold & Platinum search: Lovely, Billie Eilish & Khalid, Music Canada](https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Lovely+Billie+Eilish+%26+Khalid)
15. [Las 50 canciones más escuchadas de la década en Apple Music, LOS40](https://los40.com/2025/07/08/mucho-rap-algo-de-pop-y-ni-rastro-de-taylor-swift-en-las-50-canciones-mas-escuchadas-de-la-decada-en-apple-music/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Pop, rock, and metal songs › Pop songs › Pop songs of the 2010s › Pop songs of the late 2010s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license