There’s something beautiful about bitter lyrics written to a sweet melody. The vulnerability of pouring your heart out juxtaposed with a bubblegum-pop tune is a contrast that works incredibly well. Tennessee-based artist Sophia Angeles clearly demonstrates this bittersweet balance in her new lovesick ballad, “Break My Own Heart.”
The song follows Angeles through her journey of falling for someone, pushing them away, and wishing she hadn’t. A song about miscommunication, fear of vulnerability, love, and regret, “Break My Own Heart” is bound to be a hit that resonates with many listeners.
With over 50 million views on YouTube, Sophia Angeles has certainly made a name for herself in the music industry. Angeles is known for catchy pop melodies paired with powerful lyrics. Her previous single, “Miss You More” found its way onto several of Spotify’s curated “up-and-coming” playlists, and we have a feeling that “Break My Own Heart” will be no different.
In the first verse, Angeles ponders why she can’t seem to communicate how she feels to her significant other. She sings “I don’t know how to communicate/ How I’m feeling so I push you away.” This speaks to a situation many of us know all too well; we want to tell someone our feelings for them, but we’re too afraid and end up saying something to distance ourselves. It’s this classic push-and-pull outlined at the beginning of the song that clues us in to the turmoil that Angeles feels about her love life.
“This song really opened me up as a writer and the next few songs I’ll release this year I feel like are some [of] the best I’ve written. I’m also dropping my first music video for the song close to Valentine’s Day!”
Sophia Angeles
Repeatedly pushing people away, Angeles vents “I don’t know why/ I don’t know why,” questioning why she seemingly sabotages her own relationships. Leading up to the chorus, she sings “You’ll never leave me/ ‘Cause I’ll leave you first.” This line beautifully illustrates how we shut people out as a way to protect ourselves from vulnerability, and from being hurt by someone we care about.
“I would love for [this song] to uplift [fans] and inspire them to speak their truth. I think after you go through heartbreak there is this time where you become kinda jaded about love and you don’t really want to let people in so you cut things off before they can start. I feel like that’s a part of the healing process and that self-sabotage can actually be an attempt [at] protecting yourself from heartbreak. I think this song captures that feeling really well but also at the end of the song there is a moment of vulnerability where I realize I actually do want to find love again even though I’ve been hurt and that’s kinda the evolution of the whole song.”
Sophia Angeles
With the chorus comes a euphoric, upbeat vibe that ushers in Angeles’s flawless vocals perfectly. The question posed is “Why is it every time something good starts/ I have to go mess it up, break my own heart?” These lyrics so poignantly articulate the cycle that we often find ourselves in, running away from love when it’s just getting good. The catchy melody and steady pop rhythm are strikingly different from the heartbreak that shines through the lyrics, a contradiction that creates a unique depth to the song.
“I think the production turned out exactly what I envisioned for the song. I wanted it to be energetic but also have emotional parts of the production and Matt did a great job bringing that to life. We’ve done all my other songs together and it was great to work with him again.”
Sophia Angeles
The second verse describes how Angeles starts to distance herself from people. The opening line is “You don’t have to leave me on ‘read’/ ‘Cause I won’t even send you a text/ Make you hate me, promise it’s for the best.” This heartbreaking phrase has so much to unpack lyrically, one almost forgets the angelic voice that it comes from. Angeles bears her soul in these lines, stating that she won’t even bother to reach out over text for fear that they’ll read it and not even respond. She makes herself out to be a villain to push them away, telling both them and herself that it’s for the best that she’s alone.
“I wrote Break My Own Heart with an amazing LA writer, Chelsea Balan, and it took us a few hours to write. I came into the writing [session] with the concept of the song and she helped me bring all my ideas together. She’s definitely my favorite person to write with!”
Sophia Angeles
In the second chorus, Angeles, again, questions why she puts herself through this vicious cycle of wanting to be loved but not allowing it to happen. She sings “Build it up,/ tear it down,/ watch it fall apart/ Fall in love,/ blow it up,/ break my own heart.” These brutally honest lyrics are what make this song so incredibly relatable for listeners. Angeles is willing to bare her soul and be vulnerable in a song that is ironically about the fear of vulnerability.
“I wrote a lot of songs in 2020 but this one really stuck with me and I knew that in 2021 this was the first song I wanted to put out. I explored releasing other songs last year but I really wanted to change it up from my last two ballad releases and do something people could dance and have fun to.”
Sophia Angeles
Musically, the song has a carefree vibe with a distinctly honest undertone, making for a track that is both fun to listen to and meaningful. Angeles’s resolve to write the truth, no matter how painful it may be, is what sets her apart from many other pop artists out there. With a tune that lives in your mind rent-free and lyrics that resonate, “Break My Own Heart” is bound to be incredibly well-received by listeners everywhere.
Without further ado, here’s “Break My Own Heart,” by Sophia Angeles.
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