The track was produced by The Japanese House aka Amber Bain alongside George Daniel and Chloe Kraemer.

“‘Smiley Face’ is a song I wrote when I was very excited about talking to someone off a dating app," the Japanese House explains. "She lived in Detroit and I was fantasising about flying to meet her. I was in a session at the time for someone's else stuff but I couldn't help this song spilling out of me, I was in some sort of frenzy. Turns out I did buy the plane tickets, now we're engaged.”

":)" follows The Japanese House’s second studio album, In the End It Always Does, which was released last summer. The album has been supported by a packed year of touring, including her own headline tours of the UK, US and Japan – including her biggest headline show to date as London’s Roundhouse – as well as shows with The 1975 on their sold out 2024 UK arena tour in February.