“Hard on Yourself” marks the first collaboration between pop artists Charlie Puth and blackbear. The song’s lyrics cement it as a positive anthem addressing insecurity and natural beauty.

Initially intended as a solo track, blackbear provided his input after commenting on Charlie’s original snippet on Instagram. Puth first revealed they were working together in a tweet on August 1, 2020, and later shared the release date and cover art on August 12, 2020, just two days before release.