According to sisters Este, Danielle and Alana of HAIM, it’s breakup season. The trio invites listeners to fall in love and self-sabotage in their new single “Relationships” released on March 12. It is their first release in four years, marking the beginning of their “single girl summer” as declared on the group’s Instagram. The band continued to urge fans to “break-up with whoever you are with” in the minutes leading up to the release, paired with a cover photo paying homage to Nicole Kidman’s paparazzi photos where she celebrates finalizing her divorce to Tom Cruise. Their teasers for the single paint a clear image that mirrors how the sisters truly feel about “all these relationships,” as heard in their new song.
In the single, HAIM covers the topic that no one really wants or knows how to talk about: what do you do when love starts to die out? The angsty conversation they stir, blaming parents and past partners, sits on top of a funky, light and feathery beat that pushes against the constant uncertainty and frustration of the song’s contemplative narrator. The question is never ending, as the narrator continues along asking again and again, “Why am I in this fucking relationship?” She never finds out, and maybe never will. Like many, she feels like she can never seem to get it right and continuously ponders over if this is the way things are truly supposed to be. She—and the listener—never get the answer as the song grooves on its continuous beat. The song warms listeners up to their upcoming record, but its lack of resolution leaves listeners wanting more.
In an interview with BBC One, HAIM discussed how they spent seven years perfecting this song that acts as an “all-encompassing” story about “everything we always go through” in relationships, whether they’ve been single, taken or something in between. When it comes to the production aspect, the trio “really wanted this to be a song that gets you on the dance floor,” as they believe it to be “the most dancey HAIM song yet.” This turn toward dance floor music definitely marks a turn in HAIM’s production style, as their past projects have centered around a laid-back vibe.
Cate Goodin ‘26, one of Davidson’s many HAIM enthusiasts, shared her mixed thoughts on the new release. “I was skeptical of the new single from the teaser snippet, but I knew to have faith in that trio! I was relieved that it wasn’t misplaced when it opened up to the casual intro (very “3 AM”),” Goodin said. “My favorite portion is the beat change for the outro and the play on words of relationships towards the end.”
As a devoted HAIM fan, Goodin shared her true feelings on the song as a whole. “Is it my absolute favorite HAIM song? No. But have I played it over fifty times already? Just ask my friends who I’ve held hostage to my car aux,” Goodin added.
Goodin also gushed about the music video release that accompanied the track. “The music video makes the song even better, certain parts get very good, and it overall signals a promising album. I’m very curious what the cover will be and look forward to a HAIM summer.”
After a three-year music drought from the trio, Sofia Cimballa ‘26 was thrilled for the return of HAIM. “What a joy that HAIM is back,” she exclaimed. While the song to her was a hit, there were a few bits that fell flat. “I do quite enjoy ‘Relationships’ […] but found [it] to be a bit lyrically… cliche? Cringe? Millennial?” Nevertheless, the song still resonates with Cimballa. “The song itself is fabulous, and I feel a bit of a new (in a good way!) sound for them.”
Like Goodin, Cimballa shared a similar sentiment toward the music video. “The video is superb. Hi Drew Starkey!” Cimballa, too, has big hopes for the summertime release, including a collaboration with one of her all-time favorite artists. “The only thing I can hope for, in addition to a fantastic entire album, is a Lorde album release sometime this year—which would fulfill the trend of Lorde and HAIM releasing in the same year for their past three album cycles.”
Claire Carroll ‘27 saw noticeable differences between this new release and prior ones in HAIM’s discography. “Something I noticed about HAIM’s new song was that it was sung in a higher octave than most of their songs. I think this reflects the general trends we see in pop music today, as well as the season we are [heading into]: a high-pitched, fast, fun song feels very springy/summery to me,” Carroll shared. “I heard the term ‘genre-defying’ to describe this new single and that really stuck with me because it sounds like a mix between rock, pop and indie music. It is definitely different from their last album, and I wonder if it is representative of a larger transition in their music to come.”
Regardless of the various opinions about the single, it is clear that there is resounding excitement for an incoming HAIM summer. As the trio teases the release of a new album in the coming months, fans can hopefully expect more songs that get them up and grooving!
Josie Swain ‘27 is an English major from Atlanta, GA and can be reached for comment at [email protected].
