In celebration of her new album, <Coping Mechanism>, WILLOW releases “Split”– a ballad destined to leave you heartbroken. Saturday Night Live announced Willow as the musical guest for October 8, performing the new single. Check out our review of her album next week on our Word page!
“Split” by WILLOW
“We never talk a lot / I need to see you ’cause you’re on my mind / And say, ‘I never wanted I never wanted this for us,” the singer confesses in the chorus. Compared to her other singles, the punch does not come from the metal production but from her straightforward lyricism.
WILLOW says to Apple Music, “I feel like, with this album, I was going through a lot of heartbreak and realizing I didn’t have a lot of good coping mechanisms. I really had to sit back and be like, whoa. How do I handle emotional stress?” On “Split,” that lack of stability is evident as she dissolves a relationship, but the many emotions scare her.
Although the album experience is a sonic shift for the pop-turned-punk artist, it is the “deep cut” of an energetic, production-forward record. Producer Chris Greatti influenced her usage of metal music. She says, “Greatti plays the guitar like a freaking titan. He just plays like he’s in the music.”
Willow had a jampacked year of singles and iconic artist collaborations. Leading up to her <Coping Mechanism> album release, she dropped a plethora of singles, starting with “<maybe it’s my fault>”, “hover like a GODDESS” and “curious/furious.”
On the collaboration side, she teamed up with Machine Gun Kelly on “emo girl”. She released a self-directed video for her feature on “Purge” with Siiickbrain. Then, she was featured on Camilla Cabello’s “psychofreak.” Amongst these great moments, she rocked out with YUNGBLUD on “Memories” from his new album.
What do you think of WILLOW’s new single, “Split”? Let us know in the comments!
