my album described by the track

duae is my second album after [almost] 3 years, and i’ve been boasting to EVERYONE about the concept and such …. and i’ll say it again — this is my most cohesive, personal, well-thought album to date. it’s my best!

i’ve never really done anything like this for any project i’ve done in the past, but then again i haven’t felt this passionate about a project in like …………………….. anyway i decided to write a track-by-track analysis of each track, just to kinda give everyone an idea of what each track is like :) i was gonna do an audio commentary with this but maybe i’ll release it as a podcast some day incase y’all don’t wanna read allat .....

anyway! here is duae, track by track.

1. afterglow

this is the perfect way to start the album. it’s about the afterfeeling of something intimate — the softness that comes right after, when you’re just laying there, still in the moment. people call that the “afterglow,” and that’s exactly what it’s about. but it’s also a setup for the rest of the album, because that moment doesn’t last forever. it fades. i think this song shows that shift. it’s sexy and mellow, but it hints at something deeper. this is actually my favorite song on the album. like, i can’t stop playing it. still.

2. like that

this one’s based on something he told me during our… let’s call it an “almost relationship.” not quite a situationship, but it wasn’t a full thing either. there was a moment where he told me he was glad he met me, said i was nice and different from what he was used to. and for once i felt like i was actually being seen. later, i wrote a song about it from a more confident angle — like yeah, i had that effect on him. and that’s rare for him, so i felt like i was winning. the energy is kinda cocky in a fun way, like “you’re not gonna find this in anyone else.”

3. in2u

this is where the tone shifts a little. it’s about going back to someone emotionally even when they clearly stopped showing interest. the lyric “i keep running into you / and every time you break my heart in two / i just want you to leave, that’s what you should do” repeats throughout the whole thing because that’s literally how it felt. i knew it wasn’t working but i couldn’t stop holding on. even in the middle of the song, i talk about how i still can’t let go. it’s like being stuck in a loop.

4. 2013

i haven’t written a song this personal in a long time. the title’s exactly what it sounds like — it’s about the year 2013, and how badly i wish i could go back and start my life over from there. like, from january 1st. just to avoid all the things i’ve gone through since then. it’s full of regret and nostalgia. i talk about wanting to appreciate my childhood more, not take florida for granted, not waste the years i had. i didn’t know how good things were, and this song is basically me saying that out loud. things feel really off right now, and this was me admitting that.

5. luv4free (ft. jeilani)

this one’s about realizing i was doing all the work in that almost-relationship. i was always the one texting first, making plans, putting in effort. and after a while, it just felt like i was giving love for free. it wasn’t mutual. jeilani’s verse adds so much — it’s like a second perspective, calling the other person out. he says “you’re saying all these things, but you’re not showing them.” and that really hits, because that’s exactly what was happening. this was our first song together in four years, and it turned out so good. i’m really proud of this one.

6. in that mood

this one came from a real place. i had a day where i was seriously struggling mentally — derealization, dark thoughts, just a bad space. the repetition in the song mirrors what happens in my mind when i’m in that state. like, the way i start spiraling. i touch on depression and some stuff i don’t really like to talk about in detail. but the lyrics explain it. it’s about leaving — that kind of leaving. but also how sometimes it passes and i feel okay again, just for it to come back later.

7. no more of u

it sounds like a light, kind of fun track, but it’s really about emotional exhaustion. the title gives it away — it’s literally about needing no more of this person in my life. they were draining. in the chorus i say “i can’t focus on myself if you’re staying up in my ear / i just need some superpowers so i can make you disappear.” i was overwhelmed and couldn’t think straight. this song feels like an interlude — a moment of reflection in the middle of everything else happening on the album.

8. crybaby (ft. leelo li)

this was the first single and it’s also my second favorite on the album. it’s about realizing things didn’t work out, even though you wanted them to. it’s sad, but it’s also honest. i talk about all the little moments that almost became something bigger. it’s got this feeling of desperation and regret but also a weird kind of peace — like i’m starting to accept it. leelo li’s verse is amazing. they really understood the emotion of the track. their line “regretting is my best friend” messed me up, in the best way. it’s the perfect modern pop song to me.

9. hurt

this one’s personal, but it was originally written by my friend cyprian. we both had demos for it two years ago, and i finally finished and recorded it for this project. the story is his, but i made it my own. it’s about not being able to hold on to the good things in life. like every time something good happens, i ruin it or let it go. there’s this lyric: “i abuse everything i lay my hands on / can’t refuse / i’m too easy to dispose of.” that line hit me so hard because i’ve genuinely felt like that — like i don’t know how to keep things from falling apart.

10. end

i knew this had to be the closer. it’s not just a song that says “the album’s done,” it’s a real goodbye. it’s about trying to get closure from someone who just won’t give it to you. the chorus says “we need closure / but you never want to close this chapter / and i’m never getting over your dismissal of my thoughts with your laughter.” it used to be a simple piano ballad, but i decided to build it up more and give it a pop edge. still, it ends with “and now it’s gonna end.” and that’s the truth — it’s the end of this relationship, this emotional era, and the album.

this is the first time in the entirety of my career that i’ve genuinely felt so connected to a project, which says a lot because it took me so long to get to the point where i can finally say ‘my album will be released on such and such!’

truly, i want to thank everyone who has contributed to the completion of this album, whether you’re audibly present on this record or you simply gave your vision—i owe it to you. thank you 🖤

duae will be available july 18th