The Best You Had

Last updated
"The Best You Had"
The Best You Had by Nina Nesbitt.jpg
Single by Nina Nesbitt
from the album The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2017 (2017-09-08)
Genre R&B [1]
Length2:55
Label Cooking Vinyl
Songwriters
  • Nina Nesbitt
  • Jordan Riley
Producer Jordan Riley
Nina Nesbitt singles chronology
"The Moments I'm Missing"
(2017)		"The Best You Had"
(2017)		"Somebody Special"
(2018)
Music video
"The Best You Had" on YouTube

"The Best You Had" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt. It was released on 8 September 2017 through Cooking Vinyl as the second single from her second studio album The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change . [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Background and release

The song was written by Nesbitt and Jordan Riley, who also produced it. In an interview with Galore magazine, Nesbitt stated that she was inspired by a friend's reaction after seeing her ex-boyfriend appear with someone new on social media. [3]

"The Best You Had" is a song that portrays the complicated feelings you have about an ex moving on. The fear that the new person is better than you. Smarter. Prettier. That they could possibly love them more than they loved you. [5]

— Nesbitt explaining the meaning of the song, via The AU Review [6]

The song was officially released on 8 September 2017 to positive reviews. [7] It received praise from American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who included it on her "favourite tracks" playlist on streaming services. [8] [9] In 2020, American singer-songwriter Justin Jesso listed the song among his top underappreciated tracks in an interview with Wonderland magazine, stating: "I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. It’s a banger." [10]

Promotion

On 8 March 2018, Nesbitt released two remixes of the track, produced by electronic musicians Ashworth and DJ Fresh, to further promote the single. [11] She later promoted the song by making her U.S. late-night television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 4 April 2019. [2] [12] [13]

Music video

An official music video was released on 18 September 2017 and was directed by Alexander Darby. [14] It features Nesbitt and Scottish actor Callum Kerr as a former couple. [14] Kerr portrays her ex-boyfriend, who experiences flashbacks of their past relationship with Nesbitt while being intimate with his new partner, played by Katrina Durden, which unsettles him. [15] [16]

Track listing

  1. "The Best You Had" – 2:55
  1. "The Best You Had" (Ashworth Remix) – 2:58
  2. "The Best You Had" (DJ Fresh Remix) – 2:53

Personnel

Credits adapted from TIDAL. [18]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [19] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

"The Best You Had" release history
RegionDateVersionFormat(s)LabelRef.
Various8 September 2017Original [17]
8 March 2018Remixes [11]

References

  1. ↑ Josh Plainse (14 January 2019). "Nina Nesbitt Reveals Official Video for new single". The Fox Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Fernando, Madeleine (2019-04-05). "Nina Nesbitt Delivers Moving Performance Of 'The Best You Had' On 'Late Show': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  3. 1 2 Koczon, Mallie (2017-11-21). "Nina Nesbitt will convince you break-ups are actually dope on her newest single, "The Best You Had"". Galore. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Nina Nesbitt presents "The Best You Had"". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  5. ↑ Sosefina Fuamoli (26 September 2017). "Music Video of the Day: Nina Nesbitt "The Best You Had" (2017)". The AU Review. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  6. ↑ Sosefina Fuamoli (26 September 2017). "Music Video of the Day: Nina Nesbitt "The Best You Had" (2017)". The AU Review. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  7. ↑ Dhillon, Achal (2017-09-21). "Nina Nesbitt is the most exciting pop artist to release music this year". Metro. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  8. ↑ "Nina Nesbitt shares brand new track "Somebody Special"". Cooking Vinyl. 2018-01-09. Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2025-12-06. "Demonstrating a command of modernist pop and R&B-tinged sounds which she blends with her own confessional songwriting, they've both been embraced by fans including Hollywood royalty in the shape of Chloë Grace Moretz and Taylor Swift, who included 'The Best You Had' on her 'favourite tracks' Spotify and Apple playlists".
  9. ↑ Cihak, Izzy (2018-04-30). "Nina Nesbitt Talks Taylor Swift, Touring, and Women Writing Songs". Philthy Mag. Retrieved 2025-12-06. "A lot of my music friends love the song "The Best You Had," which ended up on Taylor Swift's year-end list, which was like the highlight of my life".
  10. ↑ "Justin Jesso Curates Playlist of Under-appreciated Tracks". Wonderland. 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  11. 1 2 3 The Best You Had (Remixes) - Single by Nina Nesbitt, Apple Music, 2018-03-08, retrieved 2025-12-06
  12. ↑ Cantor, Brian (2019-04-05). "Sandra Oh Appeared, Nina Nesbitt Performed On Colbert's "Late Show" (Watch Now)". Headline Planet. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  13. ↑ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2019-04-05). Nina Nesbitt Performs 'Best You Had' . Retrieved 2025-12-06– via YouTube.
  14. 1 2 Knight, David. "Nina Nesbitt 'Best You Had' by Alexander Darby | Videos". Promonewstv. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  15. ↑ Fuamoli, Sosefina (2017-09-25). "Music Video of the Day: Nina Nesbitt "The Best You Had"". The AU Review. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  16. ↑ NinaNesbittMusicVEVO (2017-09-19). Nina Nesbitt - The Best You Had . Retrieved 2025-12-06– via YouTube.
  17. 1 2 The Best You Had - Single by Nina Nesbitt, Apple Music, 2017-10-25, retrieved 2025-12-06
  18. ↑ Nina Nesbitt - The Best You Had, Tidal, 2019-02-01, retrieved 2025-12-06
  19. ↑ "British single certifications – Nina Nesbitt – The Best You Had". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 6 December 2025.
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