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Rob Thomas is back with a new hit, Hard to Be Happy, which is perhaps the closest to his previous iconic Lonely No More (2005), though they’re extremely different in genres. Loyal fans would recognize Rob Thomas as the lead singer-songwriter of the rock band Matchbox 20/Twenty.

Thomas, who had a difficult childhood, uses his music and vocals as the medium of expression to truly say how he feels.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020 and kept almost everyone in remote working mode, his new album was discussed over Zoom meetings. This is where Thomas paused and reflected on how his music could still connect with listeners in times of difficulty where socialising meant scrolling through screens and lacking physical touch, due to the severity of how easily the virus spreads.

Thus, Hard to Be Happy was born. Of course, the team behind the song got creative and made the song catchy to attract casual listeners and hardcore fans to listen to it – and possibly even dance to it throughout.

The music video kicks off with Thomas wandering onto the set of aerobics video, where an exercise routine is introduced by exercise participants, with smiles plastered across their faces. Then, scenes of news anchors delivering bad news, smiling are shown. Thomas is also shown in another scene playfully interrupting the weatherman during his segment.

Despite its sometimes playful scenes, these didn’t distract listeners and viewers from actually paying attention to the lyrics and the overall message – that there will be days that will be tough – but everything will turn out fine eventually. At times, if you need just a moment to catch your breath, go ahead and do just that. Nothing wrong with that. 

It’s always a challenge to talk about something heavy in a positive light, but there you have it – Rob Thomas has done it again – with his team.

Now, the world is getting used to living with the pandemic – as most would have gotten their vaccinations. Even then, the subject matter discussed will still hold true for the post-pandemic era, as new businesses are built, while others may have been forced to shut, if they did not adapt fast enough.  

Rob Thomas’ Hard to be Happy can be found in his latest album All Night Days, out since 5 September 2025.

This is his first album since 2019 when his fifth solo album Chip Tooth Smile was released.

His best-known collaboration is for Smooth with whom he worked with Santana in 1999.