“What You Did” is the fifth single off of Mahalia’s debut album Love and Compromise.
It features Grammy award-winning British singer-songwriter Ella Mai, thus marking the pair’s first musical collaboration, although Mahalia was the opener for Mai’s 2019 North American tour.
The accompanying music...
[Intro]
Oh baby
[Verse 1: Mahalia]
I know what you did
Yeah, I know, I know
And I wanna talk 'bout it
And I know you don't
I been holding guard for so long, so long
And I don't know where to start, I don't know where to start
Tell me where you hide, where do you go?
Tell me is she nice, does she know I know?
Tell me why you lie, tell me why
I don't know what you are, I don't know what you are, no
[Chorus: Mahalia]
What you did
Yeah, you know I love you but I can't forgive it
You could tell me stay, but I have to go
'Cause I would not expect someone to stay around
If I let them down, oh
[Verse 2: Ella Mai]
Oh, it's funny how
Right when I let my guard down
You play around
And no, not this time, we can't hash it out
It's too late for me to stay
I wish all the things you say was what your behaviour displayed
But, no, I could've done without lies, lies
And although I know love is blind, blind
This just don't feel right
Ain't no more we, ain't no more you with me
[Chorus: Mahalia, Ella Mai, Both]
What you did (What you did)
You know I love you but I can't forgive it (I can't forgive)
You could tell me stay, but I have to go (I gotta go)
'Cause I would not expect someone to stay around
If I let them down, oh
What you did (What you did)
Yeah, you know I love you but I can't forgive it (You know I love you, boy)
You could tell me stay, but I have to go (Stay)
'Cause I would not expect someone to stay around
If I let them down, oh
[Bridge: Mahalia]
Oh, you've become the reason I'm so down (Down, down)
Oh, I won't excuse you, I don't wanna go down, yeah (Down, down)
Do you know that you've been the reason I'm so low? (So low)
So you told me to stay here, but you know that I won't
'Cause I still can't believe
[Chorus: Mahalia, Ella Mai]
What you did, no
You know I love you but I can't forgive it
You could tell me stay, but I have to go
'Cause I would not expect someone to stay around
If I let them down, oh
What you did (What you do, what you do)
Yeah, you know I love you but I can't forgive it (Can't forgive, can't, can't forgive)
You could tell me stay, but I have to go (Have to go)
'Cause I would not expect someone to stay around
If I let them down, oh
[Outro: Mahalia]
Wow (Don't apologize, please)
I would never, I would never do it, baby (After all, you've had your fun; oh boy)
(Don't try change my mind, please)
Don't try change my mind
(Baby, me and you are done)
Me and you are done
(Boy, oh boy)
(Boy, oh boy)
What You Did was written by Mahalia & Ella Mai & Pop Wansel & JProof & Felix Joseph & Norman Whitfield.
What You Did was produced by Pop Wansel.
Mahalia released What You Did on Wed Sep 04 2019.
We wrote this song, then right at the last minute – on day of delivery – I got a text from Ella Mai on Friday evening asking, ‘Is your album submitted?’ She said, ‘Aww, I would’ve loved to have been a part of it.’ When she said that to me, it was really interesting to me. I’d never had somebody…neve...
During Part 3 of her Love and Compromise Track By Track Breakdown video, Mahalia explained the meaning of this song as:
This song’s about being cheated on, to be quite frank. Uh, it’s about being hurt and it’s about feeling disrespected and it’s about feeling betrayed, um, and it’s kind of my first...