The upbeat melody and rock-tinged guitars of "Better Off Without You" mask its more somber subject matter. "It's plain to see I'm better off without you," Hoot sings in the song's chorus, his voice a mix of Chris Young and Randy Houser. "Strange to think how much I've allowed you / To make me feel like I was in the wrong / And you had the right to turn my world around / But that's alright / I'm better off without you." Hoot explained the story behind "Better Off Without You" when asked about its inspiration by his coach, Kelly Clarkson. "Going through a divorce, that was my lowest point," he shared. "I was sitting there one night. I thought of the lyric 'I can see the thunder and hear the dark.'"