“I’ve made a couple of videos about ideas for transitions, but I haven’t had a video like that blow up the way this one did.” “The transition went hand in hand with the lyrics to the song,” Kelso tells NYLON. Other users picked the transition up, using the transition to show a before and after of them getting ready, or just doing the same tongue swipe as Kelso.

One user, Bryce Kelso, posted a transition video where he sings along with Lacy’s “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit” and swipes his tongue across his teeth with the guitar riff right after that verse. Unlike the way some viral songs have been linked to one specific video trend on the app, “Bad Habit” seems to be linked to almost every type of video - people doing mundane tasks, getting dressed, and walking around – and some more thoughtful ones using the lyrics as inspiration for the video itself. Celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Charlie D'Amelio have used the song when promoting their brands, and an array of trends have popped up. The song has been used in over 300,000 videos (with a sped-up version of it bringing to another 100,000). Lacy’s first solo album was released in May 2019, way before the rise of TikTok, but since the release of Gemini Rights, the app seems to belong to him. Like most hits nowadays, the song has taken off like wildfire on TikTok. But I feel like this song was the one that was like okay, this is what we're about to do.” I had a bunch of dope ideas, but my writing? I didn’t know how I was going to approach this record. “Prior to this moment, I felt like I was in a slump. “ was the start of this renaissance of the separation between that Steve and this Steve,” he said, referring to the version of himself that existed before this album. In an interview with GQ, Lacy explained how making the song felt like the key to unlocking the whole album. While Lacy’s music can make you feel mindless and roaming (almost like in the music video for “Bad Habit” where Lacy sings and dances for the whole song,) the songs themselves are steady and reliable. It’s no surprise that the song hit the top 10 – the R&B track has a lo-fi beat and experience-driven lyrics, most notable being the repetition of the bittersweet lines, “I wish I knew you wanted me.” The album as a whole chronicles the aftermath of a breakup, with moments surging between the sadness, relief, and uneasiness – though the songs themselves are as confident as ever. “grateful for the ‘new’ and the ‘old’ listeners. i’m grateful i just get to be myself and grow,” he said. That same day, Lacy took to his Instagram stories to share his feelings: “man thank y’all for putting on for me. As Lacy’s first entry on the Hot 100, “Bad Habit” marks a huge milestone for the artist - and an unexpected, late-summer breakout hit. 6, after weeks of slowly climbing up the chart. On August 15, less than two months after Gemini Rights’ initial release, the record’s second single “Bad Habit” entered the coveted top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at No. His songs, like 2017’s “ Dark Red” and 2019’s “ N Side,” often feel like ones you should play on repeat in the background. So far, it has paid off.Īs a guitarist and singer, Lacy’s music has always felt subtle and cool. While the 24-year-old artist has been active in the music scene since before he graduated high school – known first as the guitarist and vocalist for the band The Internet before working with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Vampire Weekend – the release of his sophomore album in mid-July signaled a new moment for Lacy, both in its sound and in the way it was produced. Steve Lacy’s second album, Gemini Rights, was the first album he’s recorded on something other than a phone or computer.

Bad habits song writers