People, I've Been Sad

"People, I've Been Sad" received widespread critical acclaim. Kory Grow of Rolling Stone compared the song to his previous single "Girlfriend" and commented on the layered emotions of the song. He pointed out that while the song is shockingly direct and features "a starkness here that hasn't been as pronounced in some of [his] previous songs", Christine sings these honest lyrics with a sense of ennui.^[6] Stacy Anderson from Pitchfork called it "genuine and striking" and praised its intimate nature.^[1]

The song was named the best song of 2020 by Paste and Time, the second best song by NPR and Pitchfork, the third by The Guardian and Rolling Stone, and the sixth by Crack Magazine.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]} The song was also included on NME's year-end list at number 11, Consequence's at 21, Billboard's at 22, and Vice's at 52.^{[14][15][16][17]} In September 2024, Pitchfork included "People, I've Been Sad" on their list of "The 100 Best Songs of the 2020s So Far", ranking it at number 64.^[18]