Music Daily’s latest pick for our music discovery is the beautiful and talented Rileyy Lanez. She released her new EP Bittersweet on December 2.
Rileyy’s Breakout Moment
Serving old school R&B, Rileyy Lanez renders honest songwriting with a soulful voice reminiscent of Keyshia Cole. Her breakout 2019 single “I’m Leaving” is a melodic outcry where Rileyy finds inner strength and self worth to leave a toxic relationship for good. The heartfelt ballad brought solace and captured the hearts of many, due to her courage and vulnerability.
Rapper Lil Tjay actually recognized her talent prior to “I’m Leaving,” and let her vocals shine on his 2019 album, True 2 Myself. Their collaboration is titled “Post To Be.” Then, the following year she released her debut EP Beautiful Mistakes featuring “I’m Leaving” as well as the soulful acoustic love note, “Marry Me.” A few singles and two years later in December 2022, the debut album from Rileyy Lanez has finally arrived.
Bittersweet By Rileyy Lanez
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The seven track project Bittersweet produced by OG Parker, flaunts her raspy and powerful vocals. The EP opens with “On Us” where Rileyy has self awareness that she deserves better from her lover. But, despite his mistreatment of her, Rileyy continues to put effort into the relationship in hopes that things will change. “I just thought I could fix you / Baby, that’s the issue / If you can’t do better, go ‘head and get up,” Rileyy admits. The R&B singer-songwriter knows her partner will regret his actions once she finds success as a mainstream artist. And Lanez knows he does not value nor understand love and trust.
A Toxic Love Cycle
She continues to explore their toxic love connection on “Blessings.” Rileyy Lanez wishes she acknowledged the red flags, and she’s left in pain while her ex receives blessings from her.
Next, Rileyy Lanez struggles to throw away a relationship she has invested so much of herself in on “Not Mine.” Although her ex has moved on to someone else, the singer is in denial that it is officially over. “Even when you’re not mine, you’re still mine / Just be with your new b****, yeah, I got time / Can’t nobody hit it like I hit it, yeah, that’s mine (Oh-oh, oh, oh-oh),” she sings. She pretends as if they are still dating. And Rileyy strongly believes others cannot offer her ex what she can.
Similarly, “Can’t Deny,” the fifth track on Bittersweet, is about the nurture, care and love Rileyy gave her ex. And she knows they didn’t deserve one bit of it. She hopes her absence makes them rethink how they treated her. Furthermore, “One Of Them Nights” describes the break up and make up cycle between her and her love interest.
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Rileyy Lanez Finds Eternal Love
And in the final track “4U” Rileyy writes about eternal love. “Forever, no matter, what lifetime we’re in / I’ll meet you there, so we can share our ending,” she sings. Lanez believes she has found her soulmate, despite their ups and downs. Rileyy Lanez feels it’s worth it for her to stay, because it hurts too much to walk away. “If I lose you, it would take me a while / To live with myself for a while / So I choose to be with you, ooh,” she pleads.
Check out the new EP down below.
