Single: You Don’t Want Me Anymore by Rachel White
The latest single release from Kinross-raised singer-songwriter Rachel White, ‘You Don’t Want Me Anymore’, is a heartfelt ballad about the weight of having to be cruel to be kind and break another’s heart. It is a stark contrast with last summer’s single, ‘Crush’, which celebrated ‘teen-esque’ ‘butterflies’ sensations of a fixation on a friend, or the clear-cut “karma got you” message in the previous single ‘Over It’. Here, Rachel employs her growing wisdom and life experience to implement more mature lyrical themes, covering complex emotions such as guilt, internal conflict and turmoil. She also touches on the impact that mental health issues, insecurities and unhealthy coping mechanisms can have on our general well-being, and in turn on our relationships. The lyrical climax culminates with the brazen line, “another void to fill, another space to kill in me”.
Part of what prompted the inspiration for this song was a health scare Rachel went through last August, where she had to undergo emergency surgery for appendicitis. She says this gave her a new life perspective and made her “reflect on a lot of things”, including aspects of her then current relationship that weren’t working. It takes bravery to be so open about both her physical and mental health, and to reveal that these personal lyrics arose from her real life. I applaud her for this, and I expect many listeners will find these topics relatable.
With these deeper lyrics comes a more mature and grounded sound. Far from the carefree, shiny 90’s/00’s-inspired ‘Crush’, with its sparkly synths, pulsating bass arpeggios and foot-tapping, 4-on-the-floor beats, or the more modern polished pop arrangement of ‘Over It’, this new single evolves from a stripped back piano-led verse and chorus with atmospheric strings, to a driving anthemic drum beat and Floydian guitar licks at the second verse, as an emotive soft rock arrangement kicks in. The flowing 6/8 time-signature, akin to a waltz, befits the bitter-sweet, romantic lyrics and sincere vocal performance which showcases her wide range and varying vocal techniques. These go from close-mic’d, soft and intimate in the first verse and chorus, building to a belt in the bridge and last chorus, before catching the listener off-guard with a Mariah Careyesque high note.
‘Tell Me You Don’t Want Me Anymore’ is proving a triumph for Rachel – well written, arranged and performed, with a personal touch and attention to detail, holding the listener’s attention throughout. It’s my personal favourite track of hers to date, and I’ve been eager to share it with friends. Rachel will be performing live gigs, including The Breakout Festival in Kirkaldy in May, and plans to release more music throughout the course of this year, including a new EP. She mentions she “found her new sound” after the creation of this new song. If this is the direction she plans to take – putting to one side surface level poppy bops to explore this more nuanced and refined soft-rock sound, I think it’s a great choice, and I look forward to her future releases.
