Six years ago today, Marshmello released ‘Happier’, a collaboration with British indie pop band Bastille. This soulful track features a bittersweet chorus that ends with the lines, “I wanna raise your spirits / I want to see you smile, but / Know that means I’ll have to leave,” urging listeners to reflect on past moments.
The music video deepens the song’s emotional impact, portraying a young girl who grows into a woman and eventually becomes a mother. The story begins with her father giving her a puppy for her birthday. As the girl matures, the dog becomes her constant companion, offering comfort during tough times. In a tearful goodbye, she must say goodbye to her beloved pet as it passes away. The video then fast-forwards to her adulthood, where she is now a mother. At her daughter’s birthday party, her father, now a grandfather, gifts his granddaughter a puppy, bringing the mother to tears.
It’s no surprise that ‘Happier’ is Marshmello‘s most-streamed track on Spotify and his first Top 10 hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s popularity even led to its use in an Amazon Echo commercial and Google’s Year in Search for 2018—both in the same year.
