"Lovely" has been awarded several certifications, including twelve times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
The track was accompanied by a music video released on April 26, 2018, depicting Eilish and Khalid walking around a glass case, interacting with each other, and trying to overcome their depression.
Darkroom and Interscope Records released "Lovely" on April 19, 2018, for digital download and streaming as the lead single for the album 13 Reasons Why: Season 2 (Music from the Original TV Series).
[3] In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, Eilish explained the inspiration for the track's title: "We called it that because the song was sort of really freaking depressing so then it’s like oh, how lovely, just taking everything horrible like you know what this is great.
[6] Dan Regan of Billboard praised the remix, saying it has "fresh vocals" and a "trap-style beat [that] buff new dimension into the song".
[12] The track features minimalist production that consists of piano, violin strings provided by Madison Leinster, and percussion.
[10][11][13] Eilish explained about working with Khalid and how the track was created to Zane Lowe: "One thing that I’ll say is that when we wrote this song, what was cool about it was that it wasn’t like we’re going to the studio and going to write a hit.
[10][15] The song becomes more dramatic as the pair move into the chorus, as Eilish sings: "Isn't it lovely, all alone?/Heart made of glass, my mind of stone/Tear me to pieces, skin to bone/Hello, welcome home.
"But I know someday I'll make it out of here/Even if it takes all night or a hundred years/Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near/Wanna feel alive, outside I can fight my fear", as backdrop piano and two chord strings accompany the lyrics.
[11] The Times' Raisa Bruner described the song as "somber" and "haunting", writing "[there] [is] little to celebrate in the dark, brooding lyrics, but still 'Lovely' finds beautiful sounds in that pained place".
[18] Graham Corrigan writing for Complex magazine praised the song as an "intensely dramatic offering", and described Eilish's vocals as "smoky" acting "as quicksand, dragging the listener down to a dark place".
[5] NME's Hannah Mylrea called the song one of the best from the official soundtrack for the second season of 13 Reasons Why, saying, it has "lush strings", "interweaving vocals", and a "sizzling duet is properly gorgeous".
[13] Adrien Begrand from PopMatters affirmed the song shows Eilish's maturity "that makes the listener forget just how young she is".
Lake Schatz remarked that "Lovely" was "one of the most fragile offerings of [2018]", and comments that the song "showcases [Eilish's] versatility as an artist".
[31] "Lovely" peaked at number 46 on the Canadian Hot 100 and received quadruplet platinum certification by Music Canada (MC).
Blistein called the visual a "simple yet striking", while Nied said it was a "captivating spectacle complete with brilliant special effects that capture the severity of their situation".
[109] During season 5 of Belgian The Voice Kids, Justin Degryse covered the song in his blind audition, he turned all 4 chairs and chose Laura Tesoro as his coach.