"Lost on You" is a song recorded by American recording artist
LP (Laura Pergolizzi). It was released on November 20, 2015, as the second single from their third
EP, Death Valley and the fourth studio album
of the same name (2016). The song experienced commercial success, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and topped the charts of thirteen countries.
The single was certified quadruple Platinum by the
Federation of the Italian Music Industry for sales exceeding 200,000 units. By November 2018, "Lost on You" received a release as a single in Mexico to much success. It was among the most-played songs on Top 40 radio stations in the country, mainly popular in Mexico City. In 2023, the song was included in the soundtrack of the Brazilian telenovela Terra e Paixão.
Background
Being about a failed relationship in their life, LP wrote the song after realizing that their girlfriend was not going to be their partner anymore. "I felt like my lover was
drifting away – slowly leaving the building – and there was nothing that I could do," they stated. "It's a
breakup song, but it happened almost a year before we broke up, and it was kind of like, 'Hey, do you see what's happening? Is it lost on you that this is going to die?' And then it did." The song was misconstrued, according to LP, although they did not mind it. "People would make it that it was
romantic, like, I'm lost on you...Like it's about being lost being in love with you, and that's not really what 'Lost On You' is about. That's the beauty of songs."[1]
Composition
Lasting 4 minutes and 26 seconds,[2] the
midtempo song is described as having "a really laid-back vibe, no beats and no rapping...just some strange wailing which sounds like an animal in its death throws, alone somewhere on the bleak
tundra, with only the darkness of winter for company."[3]Forbes called the song "an
anthem, a
juggernaut..."[4]Toronto Star described it as a "post-breakup arena-folk anthem" and The Brag Media described it as a "
southern-infused, ukulele-
blues, whistling cry from a broken heart".[5][6]
Forbes praised the song as being "a cry from a
broken heart watching the fading embers of a dying love... It is a break-up song that has resonated with millions of people all over the world...It is resigned and hopeful, fragile and strong; the intimate lyrics and stadium-sized
chorus capture the emotional rollercoaster of a heartbreak."[4] Rachael Scarsbrook from Renowned For Sound said the song "is reserved yet nuanced enough to strike a real connection between artist and listener."[8] Michelle Blakey from The Lesbian Review describes 'Lost on You' as "a deeply emotional song chronicling the demise of a relationship...It climbs steadily toward a chorus in which her voice erupts into an injured rage...It is a gut-wrenching song that anyone who has ever felt
betrayed by a loved one can relate to."[9]
Success
Although the song was released in November 2015, with the singer already playing the song to various record companies, it did not initially achieve any chart success. In May 2016, however, the song managed to
jump to number one in the
Greek charts. The song held this top position for 18 weeks, making it the most successful song of the year in
Greece.
Billboard said the reason for their success was that many vacationers heard their music on the beach and the song was then able to spread across Greece over the summer months. At the end of June 2016, the song also reached the French and Italian charts. In France, the title also reached the top position. In Italy, the song peaked in the top 5 and stayed in the top 10 of the singles chart for over three months. The song was also the fourth most
Shazamed song in the world. Regarding its success in Greece, Panagiotis Loulourgas, head of international and A&R manager at the Greek record label Cobalt Music, said it was due to "the feeling of the track, it’s everything. It touches you". In Russia the "Lost on You" Swanky Tunes & Going Deeper Remix was No. 12 on the
iTunes sales chart.[10]
After the song became a huge hit in
Europe, LP stated "...I was already fuckin' 30 to 40 songs away in my
writing. I get these interviews that are very kind and in awe of the whole thing and they'll be, like, 'You must have known it was a huge hit when you wrote it.' And I didn’t know shit. I was on
Warner Brothers, they got new people in who didn't like me, who didn't sign me, who didn't care, and they basically said 'Hey, come in and play us your new shit, so we can decide if we want to keep you on the label." LP says that although they still have the scars of the breakup, they are very proud of the song's success.[5]
Music video
In the music video, LP alternates with a red-haired woman. The woman is photo model Laura Hanson Sims. LP knows her privately, but has no close relationship with her. LP often looks yearnful in the music video and drinks to get over the
grief, thus representing their own character. LP's girlfriend Lauren Ruth Ward can be seen kissing LP passionately in the final seconds of the video. Also featured in the video is LP's band member, bassist Brian Stanley.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201650 into search. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201701 into search. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
^Cristi Nitzu (September 25, 2016).
"Airplay 100" (Podcast) (in Romanian).
Kiss FM. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
^"Media Forest – Know You Are On Air".
Media Forest. February 16, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
^"Media Forest – Know You Are On Air".
Media Forest. February 16, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201650 into search. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201701 into search. Retrieved January 10, 2017.