Wrong Direction (song)

"Wrong Direction" is a song by American singer Hailee Steinfeld and was released by Republic Records on January 1, 2020.^[1] The song serves as the lead single from Steinfeld's second EP Half Written Story (2020).

"Wrong Direction"
Single by Hailee Steinfeld
from the EP Half Written Story
Released	January 1, 2020 (2020-01-01)
Length	4:09
Label	Republic
Songwriter(s)	Elizabeth Lowell Boland Hailee Steinfeld Skyler Stonestreet Stephen Kozmeniuk
Producer(s)	Koz
Hailee Steinfeld singles chronology
"Afterlife" (2019) "Wrong Direction" (2020) "I Love You's" (2020)
Music video
"Wrong Direction" on YouTube

Background and composition

Steinfeld first teased the song's release by posting a picture on social media with the caption "1/1".^[2] Later that day she announced the song's title.^[3] It is speculated that the song is about Steinfeld's split from ex-boyfriend Niall Horan in 2018. Its title is also presumed to be a reference to Horan's band One Direction, who are currently on hiatus.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

"Wrong Direction" was written by Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Hailee Steinfeld, Skyler Stonestreet and Stephen Kozmeniuk, and was produced by Koz. The song runs for four minutes and eight seconds.^[9] Ashley Iasimone of Billboard characterized "Wrong Direction" as "an emotional ballad that addresses a past relationship".^[10]

Music video

The Alexandre Moors-directed music video was released on January 8, 2020, via YouTube premiere.^[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[12]

• Hailee Steinfeld – vocals, songwriting
• Koz – production, songwriting, bass guitar, drums, programming, synthesizer
• Lowell – songwriting, backing vocals, piano
• Skyler Stonestreet – songwriting, backing vocals
• Todd Clark – backing vocals
• Matt Snell – assistant recording engineering, studio personnel
• Phil Hotz – assistant recording engineering, studio personnel
• Josh Gudwin – mixing, studio personnel
• Drew Jurecka – string arrangement

Track listing

Digital download^[13][12]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Wrong Direction"	4:08

Charts

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)[14]	61
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15]	9
Scotland (OCC)[16]	71

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[17]	Gold	20,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[18]	Gold	40,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Various	January 1, 2020	Digital download streaming	Republic	[13][12]

References

1. "Is Hailee Steinfeld Releasing a Diss Track About Ex Niall Horan with New Song 'Wrong Direction'?". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
2. "hailee steinfeld on Instagram: "1/1"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
3. "hailee steinfeld on Instagram: "1/1"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
4. "Hailee Steinfeld to Release 'Wrong Direction' Song After Niall Horan Split". Us Weekly. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
5. "Telling All! Hailee Steinfeld Seemingly Shades Ex Niall Horan in New Song". In Touch Weekly. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
6. Atad, Corey (2019-12-30). "Fans Think Hailee Steinfeld's New Song 'Wrong Direction' Is About Ex Niall Horan". ET Canada. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
7. "Hailee Steinfeld Announces New Single "Wrong Direction" One Year After Split From Niall Horan". NYLON. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
8. Kelli, Boyle (December 30, 2019). "Why Fans Think Hailee Steinfeld Is Releasing a Diss Track About Ex Niall Horan". E! News. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
9. "Wrong Direction". Spotify. January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
10. "Hailee Steinfeld's New Year Begins With New Song 'Wrong Direction': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
11. Shaffer, Claire (2020-01-08). "Hailee Steinfeld Gets Up Close and Personal in 'Wrong Direction' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
12. "Wrong Direction / Hailee Steinfeld". Tidal. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
13. "Wrong Direction – Single by Hailee Steinfeld". Apple Music. Retrieved 2020-01-01.
14. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
15. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
17. "Brazilian single certifications – Hailee Steinfeld – Wrong Direction" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
18. "Canadian single certifications – Hailee Steinfeld – Wrong Direction". Music Canada. Retrieved August 26, 2021.