Happy (song)

Happy is a song by Brooke Candy. When the track listing for Candy's debut album SEXORCISM was revealed, the track did not appear in the final cut.

Background
Candy announced the single through a post on her Instagram account showing what the cover would be, in it, she assured that it was not an official single of her first album Sexorcism and that it would be released on March 15th. Later, after two teasers, she published a short video animation apologizing because the song was delayed for the 29th of the same month since she wanted to perfect it.

Music and composition
Candy explained that the song is about smiling through pain, even when it seems impossible. “‘Happy’ is about attempting to convince yourself you’re okay when you know that you’re not,” she said in a statement. “It’s about gritting your teeth and pushing through life with a smile on your face, even though all you want to do is curl up in fetal position, cry, and quit."

Rankin added that he was happy to direct Candy’s new video, saying he was inspired by her out-of-the-box ideas. “Brooke is a truly unique voice. Somebody that is not afraid to experiment, not afraid to take risks and keeps pushing herself,” he said. “In this world, where mediocre seems to be the enemy of creativity, she is a superhero fighting the good fight every day. We need more like her.”

Critical reception
The track had favorable reviews, Billboard said: “Sometimes, it can be painful to put on a smile when you’re having a hard day. But for pop-rap artist Brooke Candy, it looks to be an entirely different kind of pain.” and PAPERMAG said: “The track's heavy basslines, strong beats, and distorted vocals support confident lyrics that lay everything out in a relatable way. Candy pays visual homage to major influences on her art, referencing some NSFW Shibari bondage to ultimately capture raw, emotional sexuality — something she's done throughout her career.

The song's mantric quality bodes well for the singer's mission of finding solace in overcoming all the negative thoughts — also relatable.”.