Sadie Jean’s new track “Nice Knowing You” explores the “raw, in-the-moment emotions of processing [a relationship] was really over.” In the music video, premiering today on PAPER, she roams around Greenwich Village — her old NYU stomping grounds — and replays the highlights of a romantic relationship before the fall-out, inspired by Before Sunrise.
In the slow-burning track, she sings, “Let’s not pretend it’s not the end/ I’m never seeing you again/ But really there’s no bad blood/ We’ll always be almost in love,” over a steady beat, as the visuals blur around her, showing the speed of falling in and out of love. “I wanted the song to feel nostalgic and dramatic, like end credits rolling right after a super emotional supercut of memories,” she says.
Below, Jean tells us about “Nice Knowing You,” how it was inspired by film and the band Keane, and what she’s excited to share with fans next.
What was your inspiration for the track?
I wrote “Nice Knowing You” after finding out somebody I had been seeing had met somebody new. The song captures the raw, in-the-moment emotions of processing that it was really over. Writing this song was my way of saying goodbye and honoring the time we had together instead of resenting it. I wanted the song to feel nostalgic and dramatic — like end credits rolling right after a super emotional supercut of memories. I remember wanting it to feel like one of my all-time favorite songs, “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane.
How do you hope fans will feel when they hear it?
Right after we wrote this song, I used to play it for myself pretty frequently anytime I found myself feeling bitter about the situation. The song is about acknowledging the end of something while still appreciating what it was and maintaining that perspective was super integral to my healing process. I hope listeners can connect with that nuance in their own experience and maybe help them say goodbye in the same way it helped me.
How did you bring the song’s themes into the music video?
The music video, directed by Lauren Tepfer, was inspired by my favorite movie, Before Sunrise. We filmed it in Greenwich Village in New York City, where I used to live while I was a music student at NYU. I wanted to explore the bittersweet nature of a relationship that could have been. I relive a perfect day in the city with my ex: walking around the park, dancing in the street, staring longingly into each other's eyes (you know the vibes). Ultimately, it is just a glossy highlight reel of a relationship that was doomed to fail. In the aftermath of the breakup, I am sitting in the park alone, reflecting on memories with rose-colored glasses. In the video, I cherish the good times I had with my ex while knowing it is time to move on with my life and leave it all in the past.
Were there any challenges you faced while creating the song or video?
One of the biggest challenges while creating the song was navigating the emotions in real-time. The song was written the day after I got the news, so I was processing so much while also just trying to make a good song. It worked out though and I would not have wanted to spend that very chaotic and emotional day doing anything else. As for the video, it really was a dream to film with Lauren Tepfer. We met up in Washington Square Park, and she basically just filmed me and my best friend Cole in the wild, living our best life as a fake couple for the day. It was genuinely so much fun. The biggest challenge was Cole and I trying to take each other seriously and not freezing to death in my mini skirt.
What are you excited to share next?
I’m really excited to be working on my first album! The album will explore the theme of “almost” relationships, which has been a recurring theme in my life. I’ve been writing some of my favorite songs I’ve ever written and I can’t wait for people to hear it. I’m also looking forward to hopefully going on another headline tour and maybe even opening for another artist.
Photography: Lauren Tepfer
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