Sweet Ophelia

In mid-summer of 2013, the song was conceptualized.[2] Later that year, in October, "Sweet Ophelia" was written, alongside "East of Eden".[3] In an interview with Turntable Kitchen's Andrew Brandt, Day described the experience of writing in the studio, and she said she felt like they were "on a roll in the studio," and "inspired by the beat and the sound." On comparing the two songs, she stated that "lyrically they're kind of comparable."[3] In an interview with Wonderland, Day also stated, "Sweet Ophelia happened really fast. My producers and I were hanging in the studio when I started messing around with this simple riff and floaty verse melody." On lyrics, she stated, "The first verse seemed to just fall out of me, and then we followed where the song was headed sonically."[4] The song was finalized in early 2014.

Musically, "Sweet Ophelia" is a synth-pop track infused with a "colossal drum machine beat, atop a contemporary throbbing".[5] Idolator’s Carl Williot describes the song’s instrumentals. “It begins with stomping percussion and smoky coos but rises to the sort of soaring chorus that you almost never hear on a debut release. It’s like some mystical California desert chant-turned-love ballad that never tries to pummel the listener or prove its epic might."[6] Vocally, the song shows a fragment of Day’s strong range. Jon Putnam from The Line of Best Fit praises and acknowledges her vocal differences. "What sets Zella truly apart is the timbre of her voice, at once projecting an ethereal delicacy while also asserting a kind of sinewy might – It’s hard not to get swept up into her windstorm when she croons, “up, up away”, as the chorus seeps away."[5] Lyrically, the song is about fragility, more specifically about a person with whom she lost her virginity, who had already moved on to someone else, and she felt tricked and manipulated. The song has a resemblance to that of Hamlet’s Ophelia.

The song was released on April 7, 2014, and premiered on Noisey. It received positive reception, as Noisey Staff described it as "one of the most charming pop songs we've heard this year."[7] A music video for the song was released on the same day,[8] but did not debut onto YouTube until October 24, 2014. Alongside digital release, an exclusive, limited edition 7" LP, featuring "1965", the B-side to the track, pressed on clear vinyl; was released,[9] Only 500 copies were pressed.[10] The cover art of the track is of a yellow flower, hovering above the Grand Canyon; an allusion to Day's Arizonan roots, in a horizontal kaleidoscopic view. The song was played live at VevoDISCVR in the Electric Room at The Dream Downtown.[11] It was also preformed live at the Toyota Sessions, hosted by Pandora in 2015.[12]

"Sweet Ophelia" was featured in films and television shows.[13]

• Hindsight – "Pilot" (2015)
• The Vampire Diaries – "Stay" (2015)

Credits adapted from CD liner notes.[14]