“Love Lies” is a collaborative effort by Khalid and Normani for the soundtrack of the movie ‘Love, Simon’ from 2018. The song marked these two artists’ first work together and was Normani’s first release since her departure from the girl group Fifth Harmony.
“Love Lies” was released on February 14, 2018, as the second single from the soundtrack of the romantic-comedy movie ‘Love, Simon.’ The song peaked at #9 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart, #12 in the UK Singles Chart, and broke the top 10 in several other countries. The song has also been certified 5x Platinum by RIAA for selling over 5 million copies in the US alone.
At a glance, one thinks that the song title refers to the deceits in love — how love can be misleading at times. However, the title (and the song) is about questioning where each other love is at. Is it still towards each other? Or does it wander around?
Listen to “Love Lies” by Khalid and Normani
Khalid “Love Lies” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1
Khalid starts off the song by saying that he has been off lately, that he is not in the right frame of mind. Certain things keep bothering him and keeping him up at night.
I need a lover to trust, tell me you’re on my side
This tells us that Khalid and his girl have been at it for a while only to see some dynamics change recently. He notices this. When you have been relying on one person for some time, it is a scary thought to see them go. Khalid questions where their love lies? Is it still within their boundaries, within grasp? Or is it fleeing away?
Pre-chorus
Khalid wants to know the truth. It is better to be alone than to live a fake love life. He invites his partner to tell him if they are still with it. Are they still ride or die? Khalid sees the other person getting more and more independent every day, and this scares him. A relationship thrives on a little dependency. It is nice to be needed. It is nice to give and receive.
Chorus
Khalid and Normani both scream the same question.
So baby, tell me where your love lies
The lyrics that follow suggest that the couple has been in a rut recently. They spend the night awake, restless, and doubting. Then they waste the daylight busy on their own agendas. Is their love slipping away?
Verse 2
In the second verse of the song, Normani has a response for Khalid, but it is shrouded in mystery. She admits that she is still into him — it is not easy to forget years of history and memories between them.
When it feels so good, but it’s bad for you
The above lyric suggests that what Normani enjoys doing or being actually is starting to hurt the relationship. This might be the same feeling of independence that Khalid talked about in the pre-chorus of the song.
But she is conflicted. She is not ready to give up on this relationship so fast, either. She craves the warmth that they had some time ago. But she can feel something slipping from their grasps.
Bridge
In these lyrics, both Khalid and Normani sing their resolutions to fix whatever is going on between them. The cornerstone of this fix is communication (as should be in any relationship). They want to express their feelings to each other and get to the bottom of their issue.
But can a dying love be reignited?
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.