| Sober | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | G-Eazy featuring Charlie Puth |
| Album: | The Beautiful & Damned |
| Written: | 2015 |
| Label: | RCA |
| Chronology: | G-Eazy singles |
| Prev Title: | Him & I |
| Prev Year: | 2017 |
| Next Title: | 1942 |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
"Sober" is a song by American rapper G-Eazy, featuring vocals from American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. It was released via RCA Records on December 8, 2017, as the third single from G-Eazy's third studio album, The Beautiful & Damned.[1] [2] [3] [4] Puth produced the song with Dakari and the Futuristics, and they wrote the song with G-Eazy alongside Matt Dragstrem and Edgar Machuca.
G-Eazy revealed the album's full track listing alongside the single release.[5] [6] Talking about how the collaboration came together, G-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 [feeling], what did I do last night? But it's all about finding that medium, and I think that's ultimately [the meaning of] 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."[7]
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."[8]
The music was released on March 14, 2018 on Vevo and YouTube.
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 [shoulder]". She praised both artists for playing off their contrast in styles.[9] Deepa Lakshmin of MTV News felt "G-Eazy's rap verses blend perfectly with Puth's smooth vocals".[10] 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".[11]
Credits adapted from Tidal.[12]
| Region | Date | Format | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | December 8, 2017 | Digital download | RCA | |
| Australia | March 16, 2018 | Contemporary hit radio | Sony | [14] |
| United States | March 20, 2018 | RCA | [15] | |
| Italy | March 23, 2018 | Sony | [16] |