[3] Soon after, the Lumineers felt they needed to find a proper substitute for the name Ophelia, due to the fact that a song of the same name had been released years prior by The Band.

"[5] Subsequently, Schultz had trouble writing "good" verses to carry the hook he wrote, which made the songwriting process so difficult that the project was shelved until four years later.

Chinese pair skaters Peng Cheng and Jin Yang used the song for their short program during the 2018-19 season, winning a silver medal at the 2018 Grand Prix Final and placing fourth at the 2019 World Championships.

"[10] David Dye of NPR also viewed "Ophelia" positively, while comparing its musical influences and style to the Lumineers' earlier hit, "Ho Hey".

[11] In a negative review Brunna Pimentel wrote for The Edge, she claimed to be disappointed with the song, stating that it "might have been an okay track for the middle of the album," but "as a single, it is undoubtedly anti-climatic.

[21] On December 12, 2021, the Lumineers and Arkells performed a snippet of the song during the halftime show of the CFL Grey Cup in Hamilton, Ontario.