“tired of california” finds Nessa reflecting on the toxic lifestyle of the Golden State and longing to leave. The chorus interpolates a popular melody from Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner.“ She also added in a TikTok comment that the song is just for entertainment purposes:

i love la. i promise i wouldnt live anywhere else. this is just a song

The song has been teased multiple times, first done on Instagram on February 17, 2022. The teaser featured children recording background vocals for the bridge, following the theme of the line “Can I be young forever?”