Sulene takes the high road in her pulsing new indie pop farewell single “Out of Your Head,” a dynamic beat inspired by a sudden and unexpected breakup.
Stream: “Out of Your Head” – Sulene
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Heartache can throw us into the deepest pits of despair and darkness; it can eat up everything we have, and leave us in utter shock; and it can also offer us new perspectives – on ourselves, on our partners, and on how we interact with our surroundings. Despite the heartache of a sudden and turbulent breakup, Sulene doesn’t look back in anger or regret on her latest single “Out of Your Head“; she takes the high road in a pulsing indie pop farewell.
Well, now I know whose river runs the deepest
(We had it all, we had it all)
When you tested the water my heart dove in fearless
(We had it all, we had it all)
If everything’s perfect then what are you leaving for
You’re the ship that’s drifting away from shore
Won’t cry for you anymore
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Out of Your Head,” the third song in a string of recent singles following Sulene’s 2017 EP releases Strange and Strange (Reimagined). Coming on the heels of “Diamond” and “Sleeping In,” “Out of Your Head” finds Sulene immersing listeners in a vibrant, nuanced soundscape featuring cutting synths, cool driving drums, and at the center of it all, her fierce, smooth vocals. The song quickly builds up out of a well of pain as Sulene immediately sets the scene: “Well, now I know whose river runs the deepest (we had it all), when you tested the water my heart dove in fearless (we had it all),” she sings. “If everything’s perfect then what are you leaving for?” Right off the bat, listeners are invited into the pain lying at the center of this track.
I can’t get you out of your head
I’m still chained to the things that you said
And I tried and tried but never knew
All the hell you’re going through
I won’t be that someone who saves you
(We had it all, we had it all)
“‘Out of Your Head’ was written a few days after I went through an unexpected breakup with my long-time partner,” Sulene tells Atwood Magazine. “I’d happened to schedule a co-write with Dave Rublin from the band American Authors, and I remember a co-write being the last thing in the world that I wanted to do that day. Somehow I convinced myself to show up and bare it all. This co-write was also the first time Dave and I had ever hung out, and I told him about how my heart felt stuck in my throat. I asked him if we could write a “dancey break-up song” to try and have some fun and channel the pain I was feeling into something else. So we did just that, and I’m so grateful to Dave for totally just getting me in that moment. Dave and I have gone on to become close friends, and my partner and I are back together. In fact, my partner mixed this song and he sings backing vocals on it. It’s crazy how things play out sometimes.”
Sulene’s sorrow is infectious, but not overwhelming; her temper is measured as she engages not out of vengeance or spite, but out of love and the deep hurt of betrayal. She wants things to work out, but she’s also quick to recognize that perhaps her point-of-view was imperfect; that she did not recognize everything going on between her partner and herself, and that something got lost in translation along the way.
Well, now I know whose mountain is the steepest
(We had it all, we had it all)
Whatever happened to just being honest
Thought we were above this
(We had it all, we had it all)
If everything’s perfect then what are you leaving for
(I’m drowning in words you don’t say)
You’re the ship that’s drifting away from shore
(You’re the one pulling away)
Won’t cry for you anymore
A seasoned performer, Sulene has toured the world as Betty Who and Nate Ruess of fun.’s guitarist and scored music for tv (The Affair), movies, and commercials. Speaking to Atwood Magazine two years ago, the Brooklyn-based artist expressed a desire not to get pigeon-holed into any one sound – be it indie pop, or anything else. “I’m trying to lay the groundwork that I do a diverse amount of writing as an artist,” she observed. “Lyrics are… my number one thing that I care about the most in songwriting. I want people to experience the songs…”
Writing about Sulene’s previous music, Atwood Magazine‘s Kelly Wynne described the song “Something New” off her Strange (Reimagined) EP as “a step in a new direction, a stripped heart-to-heart with herself that takes a serious tone, a wish for belonging and acceptance. It’s a beautiful ode to her past and her family, a branch of herself she must leave behind in order to prove herself as an artist.”
Yet again, the artist has revealed another side to herself through “Out of Your Head,” diving into her pop sensibilities without sacrificing her lyrical and emotional integrity. This song means so much, and it makes sure the listener understands what’s on the line for the protagonist, the ex, and their relationship:
I can’t be the one holding on
While you decide if you should run
Drained all my love and couldn’t tell
Baby, this time I choose myself
I can’t be the one holding on
While you decide if you should run
Drained all my love and couldn’t tell
Baby, this time I choose myself
Hence whereas a breakup could end in turmoil and pain, Sulene’s “Out of Your Head” turns that strain into something more productive: A reclamation of the self, a moment of learning and enhanced understanding. Stream the new single exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
Stream: “Out of Your Head” – Sulene
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