Sober (G-Eazy song)


"Sober" is a song by American rapper G-Eazy, featuring American singer Charlie Puth. It was written by Eazy, Breyan Isaac, Ester Dean, Matt Dragstrem, Edgar Machuca, The Futuristics, Puth and Dakarai Gwitira, with production handled by the latter three. The song was released via RCA Records on December 8, 2017, as the third single from G-Eazy's fourth studio album, The Beautiful & Damned.

Background

G-Eazy revealed the album's full track listing alongside the single release. Talking about how the collaboration came together, Eazy told MTV News: "Charlie is one of the most talented individuals in music. He's a really special artist. We met a while ago when we're touring in Europe, and we're playing venues right next to each other. We clicked up that night and just talked and just vibed, and I found out he is a huge fan of the Bay Area hip hop, it was a huge new found respect for him on that level." He also explained his reasoning for the title of the song, saying: "I try to illustrate both sides, you know what I mean? There's definitely the fun side of going out and partying. I'm out all the time. But then there's also that reality of — I try to paint the picture of the other side, living with that , what did I do last night? But it's all about finding that medium, and I think that's ultimately The Beautiful & Damned, is to not end up way out there, and to keep yourself in check and try to find that balance, find moderation, or whatever."
In an interview with Billboard, Puth said that he wrote the song with Breyan Issac and Ester Dean in 2015, which was a dark point in his life, and that he had someone in mind when he wrote it. He continued: "You never know where these songs are gonna go. I had originally written verses, like sing-y verses, and it just didn't feel right. It felt like it needed an Eminem type story. When I heard G's verses on it, they just happened to be something similar to what I went through. There is no other person who could have done it better than G. I love G. Young Gerald, Eazy season. He's my tallest friend."

Critical reception

Megan Armstrong of Billboard made the metaphor of G-Eazy's rapping being "the devil on one shoulder" and Puth's voice being "the angel on the other ". She praised both artists for playing off their contrast in styles. Deepa Lakshmin of MTV News felt "G-Eazy's rap verses blend perfectly with Puth's smooth vocals". Mike Wass of Idolator regarded the song as "a bro-anthem" and "an ode to, and a cautionary tale about, drunken nights". He praised Puth for providing "an instantly hummable chorus".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

Certifications

Release history