I Hate You When You're Drunk

Album: Marry Me (2022)
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Songfacts®:

  • "I Hate You When You're Drunk" is about being the sober one on a boozy night out. In the song, Olly Murs is disgusted when his romantic interest gets inebriated and makes a fool of herself.
  • Murs wrote the relatable tune with Jessica Agombar and David Stewart. "I thought it was a fun song to write as there have been so many times where a friend, family member or loved one has had one too many," the former X Factor star said. "It's a lighthearted take from the sober person's point of view. We all know someone!"
  • Agombar and Stewart are a London-based songwriting duo who have penned hit tunes for the likes of BTS ("Dynamite") and Jonas Brothers ("What A Man Gotta Do").
  • David Stewart produced the song. He also played the drums, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, and bass. The other musicians are:

    Trombone: Tom White
    Flute and saxophone Snake Davis
    Flugelhorn and trumpet: John "Johnny" Thirkell and Tom Walsh
  • Olly Murs recorded "I Hate You When You're Drunk" for Marry Me, releasing it as the album's second single on November 25, 2022. While he collaborated with a range of songwriters on his earlier records, this time he worked solely with Agombar and Stewart. "I've never done this before," Murs said. "It felt weird writing with the same people constantly. But I loved the routine, and the consistency. We just kept writing good songs. They had a great vibe and an enthusiasm, and a hunger."
  • Some listeners deemed the lyrics cruel and misogynist and called for the song to be canceled. They criticized Murs for reprimanding his drunken girlfriend and accused him of controlling behavior.

    The backlash that the song generated shocked Murs. David Stewart first wrote "I Hate You When You're Drunk" in the mid-2010s, then Murs re-recorded it for Marry Me. So, it's not directed at his fiancée, Amelia. "It's not even about a she or a he," he told BBC Radio and The Record Club host Jess Iszatt. "Let's be honest, everyone has been on a night out and said to everyone around them, friends, partners, whoever, 'I hate you when you're drunk.'"
  • Marry Me debuted at #1 on the UK albums chart. It was Murs' fifth chart-topper out of the seven albums he's released.

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