HAIM – The Story of Us Marks a New Era of Reflection and Resilience
October 17, 2025
Today, on October 17, 2025, HAIM have dropped “The Story of Us” as one of the three new tracks on the deluxe edition of their album I Quit. Originally, I Quit was released in June 2025 as HAIM’s fourth studio album. The deluxe expansion adds “The Story of Us,” “Even the Bad Times,” and a mix with Bon Iver titled “Tie You Down.”
As a freshly released track, “The Story of Us” steps into the existing emotional terrain of I Quit—a project already steeped in themes of quitting or letting go, of endings and new beginnings. Critics note that the song carries a 2000s rock-inflected energy, an aesthetic nod to earlier pop-rock and emo sounds (some even compare its vibe to the style of Avril Lavigne) — but filtered through HAIM’s signature blend of rich harmonies, instrumental detail, and emotionally open lyrics.
In the context of I Quit (Deluxe), “The Story of Us” functions as a nuanced coda. While the original album explored the complexity of relationships, self-doubt, and internal friction, the addition of this track deepens the emotional arc: it feels like an epilogue or a reckoning, an attempt to tell the story after the dust has settled. Whereas some songs on I Quit – front heartbreak head-on, this one leans into reflection—asking what remains once decisions are made, once conflicts have run their course.
Musically, though early reviews are sparse (given today’s release), the track is praised for balancing nostalgia and forward motion. Its instrumentation weaves guitar-driven momentum and drum textures that echo rock’s past, while HAIM’s production polish keeps it within their modern pop-rock idiom. One reviewer of the deluxe edition ranked “The Story of Us” along with “Even the Bad Times” as the newer tracks that add fresh color to I Quit, though not necessarily reshaping the core identity of the original.
Another interesting note: with the deluxe, HAIM also lean into collaboration. The inclusion of “Tie You Down” (with Bon Iver) suggests a willingness to open the I Quit world to external voices, and “The Story of Us” sits between this collaborative reach and HAIM’s solo core.
For listeners, “The Story of Us” offers both closure and possibility. It invites the audience to revisit the emotional territory of I Quit with fresh eyes, to measure distance traveled since heartbreak, and to reexamine the narratives we tell ourselves when relationships fail or change. As the autumn release arrives, it may well become a fan favorite—especially for those drawn to HAIM’s ability to balance vulnerability and strength through melodies that linger.
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