The song's creation was a global effort; Puth began the guitar line in Japan, produced the beat in the Philippines, and recorded his vocals in Los Angeles. Seeking a vocal counterpart that could convey the same emotional weight, he reached out to Selena Gomez. In a surprisingly unglamorous turn, Gomez recorded her 15-minute vocal session in a walk-in closet at Puth’s lawyer’s house. The resulting track is a "pulsing club jam" characterized by tropical-inspired production and a catchy, minimalist rhythm that contrasts with its melancholic themes. Lyrical Meaning and Themes

At its core, the song captures the "uncomfortable phase" where two people who were once intimate become strangers.