I cried the whole time I recorded it. But now I feel proud. And empowered.

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Although the cover art was never officially explained by Halsey, it can likely be interpreted as the juxtaposition of life and death.

Drawing from the song’s themes the skull on the cover art likely symbolizes past hurt and the death of past relationships or even a past version of herself she’s shedding. The butterfly is more representative of current Ashley – depicting growth and life that has come from past hurt. As a butterfly metamorphizes from a caterpillar, Ashley has used her past hurt to change into the person she is today. This theme is further re-enforced with the butterfly in bright orange (representing the present) and the background in more muted, dark colors (representing the past).

The butterfly image appears through the hopeless fountain kingdom era and was included in the cover art for her single “Bad at Love”. The butterfly is also the symbol of the fictional House of Spera which is a rival family in the story-line of hopeless fountain kingdom.

Halsey also has a butterfly tattoo on her arm.

Water is also representative of cleansing and change.

In an interview for Zach Sang Show, Halsey said that this song is about many situations and people, it’s about being there for many people but not getting an effort back from them. It’s about friends, past relationships and her present relationship.

I’m not a celebrity, a personality. If I want to say something, write a song, create art, ‘cause I’m an artist. That’s my job.