Choose Love came from a time when love felt a little more complicated than it was supposed to.

Sometimes life makes you realize that the relationship you’re in isn’t healthy, even if it takes a long time to admit it to yourself. And sometimes meeting someone new helps you see more clearly what love should actually feel like.

That became the heart of Choose Love — the idea that the person beside you should make you feel valued, lift you up, and love you for who you actually are. Someone who makes you feel, in the words of the song, treated like a star.

For me, it’s ultimately a song about recognizing that you have a choice. You can keep settling for something that hurts, or you can believe that love can be kinder, healthier and more hopeful.

Sometimes choosing love also means choosing a different future.