"Friends" (stylized in capital letters) is a song recorded by American music producer Marshmello and English singer Anne-Marie. It was written by Marshmello, Anne-Marie and Natalie Dunn, with production handled by Marshmello. The song was released via Joytime Collective and Asylum Records on February 9, 2018, along with its lyric video.

On February 5, 2018, both artists posted a teaser image for the single on social media, revealing the song's release date. They later posted a short audio clip on February 7, 2018. Speaking about the song with London Evening Standard, Anne-Marie said: "The idea came from a boy that I know that's my friend and he kind of he wanted to be more than my friend and I was like 'look brother how many times do I have to tell you we're just friends'. I thought it would be funny to write a song about it and there weren't that many songs about it and it works for Valentine's day for all the people who are single. I don't ever want him to know that it's about him because it's awkward. I do feel a bit bad but I'm trying to forget that it's about him and think about how funny it is about the situation."

Kat Bein of Billboard regarded the song as a blend of a wide variety of genres, writing: "The English singer delivers a bossy performance that would put any dog's tail between its legs, while Marshmello plays clever on acoustic guitar over a bumpin' electronic beat and even works in some G-Funk, West Coast synth work." Caitlin White of Uproxx called the song "a banger" that reaches "the level of unescapable that I most closely associate with the first time I heard The Chainsmokers wobbly pop ballad 'Paris'", stating that Anne-Marie "strikes the perfect balance between disdain and aggression". James Shotwell of Substream Magazine wrote: "'Friends' finds Marshmello abandoning the world of EDM for a far more traditional pop sound that perfectly pairs with vocalist Anne-Marie's entrancing croon." Brad McCrea of iHeartRadio deemed the song a combination of "strong dance beats" and "pop vocals from Anne-Marie". Mike Wass of Idolator noted that the song does not belong to the "sub-genre of pop songs about friends who become lovers", but instead is "a musical reminder to stop making a fool of yourself", calling the song "Marshmello's third big hit in a row", following "Silence" and "Wolves".

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