A remix by record production duo Hippie Sabotage, titled "Stay High", was released as the third single from Truth Serum and reached the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe.

[8][9] According to Lo, "Habits (Stay High)" is the song from Truth Serum (2014) that means the most to her because of its honest lyrics and extended writing process.

[13][15] The process of writing and finishing the song had taken around three years in total, Lo revealed in 2024 for Queen of the Clouds' tenth anniversary, as it went through five different versions of the chorus.

[28][29] In an interview with AP Entertainment, the singer stated that the song's lyrics describe her behaviour during the time she wrote it, when she was devastated and trying to overcome a former relationship.

Carrie Battan of Pitchfork stated that the song "contrasts a giant hook and chorus with snappy verses filled with quietly distinct, often strange imagery: of [Lo] eating her dinner in the bathtub, getting drunken munchies, seducing dads on playgrounds".

[37] Chris Jordan of Asbury Park Press described "Habits (Stay High)" as a "synth-based pop song with a sweeping chorus", but noted that the lyrical content of the track was similar to that of Rock 'n' Roll music.

[34] AllMusic's Heather Phares called it "the Queen of the Clouds's standout track,[45] while Sam Lansky of Idolator stated that it "has a little of the texture of Kesha's no-fucks-given party-girl pop but with the languorous sadness of Robyn" and that "It'll get stuck in your head, which is right where it deserves to be.

[47] Bradley Stern of MuuMuse called it "the younger, more Swedish-sounding sister" to Sia's "Chandelier" (2014),[48] while Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal considered it an "anthem of female empowerment".

[42] Alex Kritselis of Bustle opined that "Habits (Stay High)" was a dramatic song, but further stated that the "sadness, anxiety and terror" in the singer's voice were authentic.

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said that "Habits (Stay High)" was one of the weaker tracks of Queen of the Clouds, while Jillian Mapes of the same magazine stated that it was "a little too same-y amidst artists like Lorde and Banks".

[44] The staff of The Line of Best Fit ranked "Habits (Stay High)" at number 6 on their list of the 50 Best Tracks of 2013 and wrote that it was "easily one of the most vital pop songs of the year".

"[52] Entertainment Weekly's Miles Raymer selected the line "I eat my dinner in my bathtub / Then I go to sex clubs / Watching freaky people gettin' it on" on his list of the best lyrics of 2014 and wrote that it was "one of the most interesting images to come out of a pop singer's mouth this year".

[67] "Habits (Stay High)" topped the chart on the issue dated 15 November 2014,[68] becoming the seventh song by a debut artist to reach the number one spot in 2014.

[71] In its twelfth week, it climbed to number one,[72] becoming the third song by a woman or female-led act to top the chart, after Lorde's "Royals" (2013) and Paramore's "Ain't It Fun" (2014).

[97] It further reached number six on the Airplay Top 20 chart, and received a Platinum certification accorded by IFPI Denmark, denoting 2,600,000 streams in the country.

[98][99] "Habits (Stay High)" peaked at number three in both Austria and Switzerland,[100][101] and was certified Gold in both countries by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

Scenes interspersed through the main plot portray Lo in a dark room, with mascara dripping from her eyes while doing activities such as blowing bubble gum, eating melting ice cream, and smoking a cigarette.

"[123] In the video, the singer wanted to "show this kind of night where things can get out of control" and the viewers to "go slowly into this emotional turmoil" represented in the lyrics of the song.

[127] Miles Raymer of Entertainment Weekly called it a "clever" video that "showcases Lo's artfully complicated party-girl image as she recreates some of the debauchery in her lyrics, as well as some of its after-effects".

[132] The singer performed "Habits (Stay High)" alongside "Love Ballad", "Out of Mind" and "Not Made For This World" at Swedish radio station P3 on 10 April 2013.

[140] Lo also sang "Habits (Stay High)" alongside the other songs from Truth Serum and "Run On Love" for her first show in the United Kingdom at Notting Hill Arts Club on 2 April 2014.

[209][210] "Stay High" received a nomination for Song of the Year at the P3 Guld 2015 awards in Sweden,[211] but lost to "Knäpper Mina Fingrar (Remix)" by Linda Pira.

[119][210][217] Lo stated that "Stay High" wasn't planned to be released as a single until radio programmers in the United Kingdom started to feature it on their playlists.

[221] Miles Raymer of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the remix shared "a similar theme of getting through emotional struggles with copious amounts of chemical assistance" with the original version, although feeling that the latter was "more bluntly honest".

[220] Additionally, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy ranked it at number 14 on his list of the best singles of 2014,[219] and Reed Fischer of Rolling Stone described it as a "sadness vs. inebriation tug-of-war".

[209] Mike Wass of Idolator attributed the track's "surprising" success to Goulding's post and pointed out that it was "an incredible feat for a gloomy, alt-EDM remix that has been floating around online for the last six months".

[241] "Stay High" peaked at number three in both the Flanders and Wallonia regions of Belgium,[243][244] and was certified Gold by the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), for exceeding sales of 15,000 copies in the country.

[278] Entertainment Tonight's John Boone ranked it at number one on his list of Kelly Clarkson's 11 Best Tour Covers, further adding that the singer sounded "amazing" and that he "loved" to hear her "darker and edgier side".

[287] In June 2020, the song was covered in a performance by Louriza Tronco and Sarah Grey as their respective characters in an episode of the Netflix web series, The Order.

[288] The performance on the show led to "Habits (Stay High)" entering the Billboard Top TV Songs chart at number 4 in June 2020.