The first new music of 2020 comes in the form of heartbreak. Hailee Steinfeld seems to be moving on, but with a deeper reflection of the past. We cannot help but be reminded of One Direction when we read the song title “Wrong Direction.” Is there any connection with the boyband? Let us explore the meaning of the song.
Hailee Steinfeld teased the song title on her social media profiles on December 29, 2019. Fans soon began speculating that the song is about Hailee’s ex-lover and former OneDirection member, Niall Horan. The two dated for about a year, before splitting up in December 2018.
“Wrong Direction” seems to be an address to Hailee’s ex for whom she claims to have given her soul and he in turn crushed it. Hailee Steinfeld commented about the meaning of the song with Apple Music; “I’ve learned how easy it is to fall in love with the idea of falling in love, and more importantly, how hard it can be to accept the reality of losing yourself in someone else’s version of the word. I wrote this song at a low point in my life, when I realized I had spent over a year falling in a direction so far from who I was.”
Listen to “Wrong Direction” by Hailee Steinfeld
Verse 1
Hailee Steinfeld honestly blames herself for letting this ex-lover hurt her. Only because she opened her heart and exposed her soul to someone undeserving of it, she got hurt. So she cannot hate him for breaking her heart. She does not hate herself either. Hailee is only angry at the events that led to this fallout.
Pre-chorus
Hailee Steinfeld was too blinded by love to see what was happening behind the smokescreen. What she had preconceived about this ex-lover was a pretty big drawn up lie. In her insight, she knows that he had somebody to warm his bed.
Chorus
Some painful emotions fall out in the form of lyrics in the chorus of “Wrong Direction” by Hailee Steinfeld. She says that this ex-lover had the worst intentions with her and never even stopped to question himself. He continued to hurt her and she let him.
It is a chaotic spot to feel “like heaven” when you are being burnt by your lover. There is no place to run and no cave to hide in. You just let yourself be burnt, until you see through it. He promised her the world and in the end, left her humiliated in front of the world.
Post-chorus
Generally in life, there are two directions to travel-the right and the wrong. Being in the wrong relationship can be considered as life headed in the wrong direction. And it serves as a double entendre to mock Hailee’s ex-boyfriend and former One Directioner, Niall Horan.
Verse 2
Even standing on her tiptoes, Hailee could not match the ego of the ex-boyfriend. Hailee Steinfeld is an accomplished singer, actress, model and social media personality. So, her ex-boyfriend, as described here, should be someone more accomplished and proportionately egoistic. This is never a good sign in a healthy relationship.
The latter lyrics suggest that this boyfriend changed drastically during their tenure of dating. Niall Horan did launch a successful solo music career after One Direction split in 2016. He produced some bit hits such as “Slow Hands” and “This Town.”
What do you think about “Wrong Direction” by Hailee Steinfeld? Is it about the former One Directioner that we guessed here? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below.