Is it alright to wonder if a past love thinks about you when they’re with someone new? Ask The Night Game

If I listened to ‘Do You Think About Us?’ before entering my thirties, I wouldn’t have connected to the logic of wondering if a past love thinks about you, when they are with their new partner. Not only would I find it to be—what I call—rabbit-hole thinking I’d think it was borderline creepy. But we’re in 2018, and being in your face with honesty (or alternative facts) is the new normal.

For a long time, songwriters have taken the high road through their songwriting. At times, they would wish their former lover the best (See: Beyoncé’s ‘Sorry’) or request that they’d put their things in the box to the left (See: Beyoncé’s ‘Irreplaceable’); Bitterness would be in the rear-view mirror of their consciousness. They’d move on to find their soulmates and sing that it “sucks to be you right now” (See: Beyoncé’s ‘Best Thing I Never Had’). If they didn’t see the end, they’d fight for the relationship (See: Rihanna’s ‘Stay’ featuring Mikky Ekko). It wouldn’t end, but there would be plenty of warnings (See: Beyoncé’s ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ featuring Jack White). Or, there’s usually tremendous amounts of regret (See: Rihanna’s ‘Man Down’).

On the hook of the new Alt-Pop song, specifically, both singers wonder if their past significant others think about them when they are intimate with their new partners.

On a side note: When (cheating) exes find out that you’ve met someone new, for some reason beyond me, they feel a way about it. There isn’t enough information here, but it seems like a fresh break up. I hope it is. It would be less disturbing to me.

Now, listen to The Night Game’s ‘Do You Think About Us?’ featuring Caroline Polachek (of Chairlift) to come to your conclusions. The title track is from Martin Johnson’s forthcoming self-titled debut LP.