Bad Liar

Based on training knowledge, 'Bad Liar' operates in natural minor with a four-chord loop that deliberately withholds any dominant-function resolution. The harmonic stasis mirrors the lyrical standstill — a narrator who cannot stop lying to themselves. Jorgen Odegard's sparse production leaves the chord movement exposed rather than buried under texture, so the emotional weight lands on Reynolds' vocal phrasing rather than on harmonic drama. All harmony here is inferred; no tab or chart source was consulted.

Dan Reynolds co-wrote 'Bad Liar' with his wife Aja Volkman at a low point in their marriage, shortly before the two separated. Reynolds has said the couple did not ultimately go through with a divorce, but the song captures the emotional turbulence of that period with unusual candor for a mainstream rock single. The remaining members — Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, and Daniel Platzman — along with Norwegian producer Jorgen Odegard, completed the writing team.

Released November 6, 2018 as the fourth single from Origins, 'Bad Liar' finds Imagine Dragons trading arena-rock bombast for restraint. Co-written by Reynolds and his wife Aja Volkman while the couple were separated, the song's honesty drove it to number one in Czech Republic and Latvia and top-ten finishes across Belgium, Finland, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Producer Jorgen Odegard keeps the arrangement sparse, putting the lyrical vulnerability front and center.