"Blue Dreams" is a song by American actress and singer Sofia Carson. It was released on March 8, 2019 through Capitol Records as the lead single from her upcoming second studio album.
Background and promotion
In late 2018, Carson announced that her upcoming second studio album would be released in 2019 and that it would be "very experimental". She revealed the title, release date and cover art of "Blue Dreams" on February 23, 2019. The song was made available for pre-save upon announcement. Carson performed the song for the first time at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, on March 15, 2019. The single was then performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 21, 2019.
Composition
"Blue Dreams" is a soul and electropop song written solely by Carson and produced solely by Finneas O'Connell. According to Carson, the song "is about a recurring dream, one that causes a sad feeling in somebody's heart". It also deals with the topic of a breakup.
Critical reception
Rania Aniftos at Billboard referred to the song as a "heartbreaking ballad", and pointed out that the song "tends to delve into subject matter which Carson hasn't explored previously". Writing for Idolator, Mike Nied noted that the track was "simply beautiful".
Music video
The song release was supported by a lyric video, featuring a still image of Carson looking through a window with animated raindrops and occasional lightning. The official music video was released on March 15, 2019, and features Carson in the loft from the television series, New Girl. A section of the set was recreated strictly for the music video, as the show is Carson's favourite according to various sources. Throughout the video, Carson sits on a stool and sings the song. Near the end of the video, the song transitions into a live acapella version of the track sung by Carson herself.
Live performances
Carson performed the song for the first time at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, on March 15, 2019. The single was then performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 21, 2019. The song was also performed at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019.