At some point in most of our lives, the phrase “I hate you because I love you” moves from the part of the brain that squirrels away “deep” song lyrics to the part of the brain that stubbornly hangs onto memories from bittersweet romances. With her new single “Down”, Dallas-bred singer Skyy West melts into the sea of grey cells that lie between those two points.
Instead of a full-throated soul roar that celebrates having a “ride or die” attitude when it comes to her darling, darling baby, Skyy (the young lady in the driver’s seat in the featured image above) offers her audience a nuanced torch song where starry-eyed devotion sounds a bit like addiction. Her voice is lace-like, tender, and almost elusive at times – seeming to backstroke in the quiet-storm arrangement complimenting her words. Speaking about what motivated the tune, West explains, “This song describes the back and forth emotions of a toxic relationship. Should I stay or should I go? Have you ever loved someone and just couldn’t stop?”
Now, chewing on that last question comes with a bit of risk. You might find yourself going down a rabbit hole of memories about that certain someone that you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT! You may find yourself feeling down because you remember just how much you hurt a beautiful person for selfish reasons. Or you may find yourself owning up to a cold hard truth that you’re more down for someone than they are for you. So while “Down” is a lovely ripple of old-school R&B delivered by a talented nu-school aspirant, try not to be alarmed if you find yourself sinking into your feels on this one.
You can listen to “Down” now on all streaming services.
Connect with Skyy West: Instagram | Official site | Spotify | Twitter
