It was 2017. Selena Gomez was basically the biggest person on Instagram, but her musical identity felt a little... unsettled. Then she dropped Bad Liar. It didn't sound like a radio hit. It didn't sound like the polished dance-pop of Revival. Honestly, it sounded like someone had taken a Talking Heads record, stripped it for parts, and built a nervous, shaky, brilliant masterpiece in a garage.
People were confused. Then they were obsessed.
You've probably heard the bassline. It’s iconic. It’s also stolen—well, sampled—with David Byrne’s explicit blessing. But there is a lot more to Bad Liar than just a clever sample. It represents a specific moment in pop history where the rules were being rewritten, and Selena was the one holding the pen.
The Weird Science of the Bad Liar Production
Most pop songs are built like skyscrapers. Layers upon layers of synths, compressed vocals, and a hundred tracks of percussion. Bad Liar by Selena Gomez is a tiny, minimalist shack. It’s empty.
Ian Kirkpatrick, the producer behind the track, has talked openly about how the song almost didn't happen. The core of the track is that legendary bassline from "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads. If you listen closely to the original 1977 recording, that bass is driving, relentless, and a little bit anxious. Kirkpatrick took that feeling and turned it into a song about the physical agony of trying to hide a crush.
Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels, Selena's frequent collaborators, were in the room. They weren't trying to write a smash. They were just playing around. Selena’s vocals aren't belted; they’re whispered. They're conversational. She sounds like she’s talking to herself in a bathroom mirror at 2:00 AM.
That’s why it works. It’s intimate.
- The song uses a "hushed" vocal technique that became a massive trend in the late 2010s.
- It completely lacks a traditional, explosive chorus.
- The lyrics are incredibly literal—mentioning things like "the patio" and "walking in my sleep."
It’s just weird. In a good way.
Why David Byrne Actually Liked It
Usually, when a pop star samples a legendary punk or New Wave band, the original artist hates it. They see it as a cash grab. But David Byrne? He loved Bad Liar.
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According to various interviews from the time, Byrne heard the track before it was released and gave it a big thumbs up. He appreciated that it wasn't just a lazy loop. The song captured the "art-school" vibe of the original Talking Heads era while making it accessible to a teenager in 2017 who had never heard of CBGB.
The song sits at a weird crossroads. It’s 70s post-punk meets 2010s bedroom pop. This wasn't just Selena Gomez trying to be "indie." It was a genuine exploration of how rhythm can carry a song more than melody can. If you take the bass away, the song evaporates. There’s almost nothing else there besides some finger snaps and a very subtle acoustic guitar toward the end.
The Music Video and the "Selena-Verse"
The music video for Bad Liar by Selena Gomez is a whole different beast. Directed by Jesse Peretz, it’s a 1970s period piece.
Selena plays four different characters. She’s the awkward high school student. She’s the mom. She’s the dad. She’s the "other woman" (the PE teacher). It’s a bizarre, suburban drama that feels like a Wes Anderson movie but with more teenage angst.
- Character 1: The teenage girl with the Farrah Fawcett hair.
- Character 2: The father with the mustache (very 70s).
- Character 3: The glamorous, bored mother.
- Character 4: The blonde, athletic gym teacher.
The video serves as a visual metaphor for the song's internal conflict. The lyrics are about "trying to play it cool," but the video shows the chaos happening beneath the surface of a seemingly normal family. It was a bold move. Most pop stars would have gone for a high-glam, high-fashion look. Selena went for a Sears catalog aesthetic.
The Lyrics: A Masterclass in Relatability
"I was walking down the street the other day, and I saw a distracted person who looked like you."
That’s the opening line. It’s not poetic. It’s not flowery. It’s a text message you send your friend. The genius of Bad Liar is that it captures the specific, itchy feeling of being attracted to someone you know you shouldn't be thinking about.
"Battle of my pride vs. my soul."
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"I'm trying to play it cool, but I'm turning bright red."
We've all been there. The song doesn't pretend to be a grand romance. It’s about the embarrassing, sweaty-palmed reality of a crush. It’s small. It’s human.
The Critical Reception and Chart Performance
Ironically, Bad Liar wasn't Selena’s biggest chart hit. It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. For a superstar of her caliber, that might seem "mid."
But critics went insane for it.
Billboard named it the best song of 2017. Rolling Stone put it on their year-end best-of lists. It was a "critic's darling." It proved that Selena Gomez had taste. It showed she was willing to take risks that her peers—who were mostly sticking to safe, tropical house-influenced pop—weren't willing to touch.
It was a turning point. It paved the way for her later, more experimental work like "Fetish" and eventually the vulnerable honesty of Rare. Without the stripped-back bravery of this track, she might have stayed in the "EDM-pop" lane forever.
What We Can Learn From the Production
If you’re a songwriter or a producer, there is a lot to steal from this track. Not the bassline (don't get sued), but the philosophy.
Negative space is your friend. Most modern songs are too loud. They are "wall of sound" productions. Bad Liar proves that if you have one great element—a bassline, a vocal hook—you can let everything else breathe. You don't need 40 tracks of synths. You need one good idea.
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Vulnerability doesn't have to be a ballad. We usually think of "vulnerable" songs as slow piano tracks. This is a mid-tempo, funky song that is still deeply vulnerable. It’s honest about being a mess.
Reference your influences. Selena didn't hide the Talking Heads influence. She leaned into it. By acknowledging where she came from, she made something that felt grounded in music history rather than something manufactured in a lab.
How to Appreciate "Bad Liar" Today
If you haven't listened to it in a while, put on some good headphones. Ignore the TikTok sounds and the 15-second clips. Listen to the way the song builds.
Notice how the vocals are layered in the pre-chorus.
Listen for the "Oh!" ad-libs that sound totally unplanned.
Watch the music video again and look at the subtle acting Selena does in the different roles.
It’s a masterclass in "less is more."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Bad Liar, here is what you should do next:
- Listen to the source material: Put on Talking Heads’ 77 album. Understand the "Psycho Killer" bassline in its original context to see how Kirkpatrick flipped it.
- Analyze the "Hushed" vocal style: Compare Selena’s delivery here to Billie Eilish’s early work. You can see the direct line of influence in how female vocalists began using intimacy as a weapon.
- Watch the Jesse Peretz filmography: The director of the music video has a specific style. Watching his other work helps you understand why the Bad Liar video looks so cinematic and "un-pop."
- Deconstruct the lyrics: Try writing a poem or a song where you use zero metaphors. Only use literal descriptions of what you see and feel. It’s harder than it looks, and it’s why this song feels so grounded.
The legacy of Bad Liar isn't just a chart position. It’s the fact that a decade later, it still sounds fresh. It doesn't sound like "2017." It just sounds like Selena.