NYRE’s It Should Be You is a profound reflection on the nature of memory, heartbreak, and the haunting aftermath of lost love. At its heart, the track addresses a philosophical dilemma we all face: the struggle to reconcile our desire to move forward with the inescapable grip of the past. The lyrics, particularly the line “I locked you in the back of my mind, with the memories that are meant to die,” reveal a tension between willful forgetting and the persistence of memories, which continue to resurface in moments of emotional déjà vu.
The song suggests that we cannot fully control what remains buried in our minds. Philosophers like Nietzsche and Proust have long argued that memory, particularly those tied to love and pain, operates on a timeline of its own, often returning in waves when least expected. NYRE taps into this with an almost existential weight, implying that these memories, no matter how carefully suppressed, are embedded in our consciousness like ghosts from another time, poised to re-emerge through everyday sensory experiences. The line “got you out of my sight” suggests an attempt at liberation, but it is quickly overshadowed by the realization that emotional release is not as simple as physical distance.
Musically, the soundscape mirrors this psychological battle. The dimensional pop production crafted by Jonathan Karkar envelops us in a cerebral world where sound and emotion blend seamlessly. The instrumentation is meticulously layered, much like the complex web of memories the song explores. The song doesn’t merely express heartbreak; it sonically embodies it. The pristine vocal delivery feels as though it floats on top of a swirling undercurrent of unresolved tension, each note resonating with the same bittersweet longing found in the lyrics. The emotional intensity is heightened by the sublime vocal production, which uses space and echo to create a sense of expansiveness, almost as if we are inside the singer’s mind, navigating the labyrinth of past emotions.
In a deeper philosophical sense, It Should Be You is an exploration of the ethics of memory and suffering. The song’s central emotional question – “Why am I still suffering when you seem unaffected?” – raises the notion of karmic injustice. This sentiment touches on ideas from existential and moral philosophy, where the notion of fairness in emotional pain is questioned. NYRE’s resentment that the other person has moved on while she remains haunted by these memories speaks to a universal feeling of imbalance in relationships, where one party seems to carry the burden of grief while the other appears liberated from it. The captivating hook “It should be you” becomes a pointed declaration: it’s not just a lament for a lost love, but an indictment of the unfairness of emotional suffering.
The smart, engaging lyrics also embed contemporary pop culture references, giving the song a modern edge and connecting it to the larger cultural discourse of heartbreak in the pop music landscape. By subtly weaving in nods to artists like Billie Eilish, Halsey, and K-pop acts such as LISA, NYRE situates herself within the broader tradition of alt-pop storytelling, where raw, personal narratives take center stage. Yet, unlike some of her contemporaries, NYRE elevates her narrative with a cerebral quality, transforming what could be a simple breakup song into a meditation on the nature of memory, identity, and emotional resilience.
In terms of production, the song stands out as a meticulously crafted piece. Jonathan Karkar, alongside mixing engineer Phil Hurst and mastering engineer Luke Fair, has constructed a sonic landscape that perfectly complements NYRE’s emotional depth. The production is not simply a backdrop but an integral part of the storytelling. The use of reverberation and spatial effects creates a sense of disorientation, much like the unexpected emotional ambushes NYRE describes. There is a subtle interplay between clarity and echo, with pristine vocals piercing through hazy instrumental layers, evoking the sensation of memories cutting through the present.
Furthermore, the track’s alt-pop aesthetic is enhanced by its strong visual component, as seen in the cover art featuring the Toronto skyline at sunset. The visual imagery of a cityscape at dusk mirrors the liminal emotional space NYRE occupies in the song – the in-between moments of light and dark, where memories surface. The production process itself reflects this sense of care and intentionality, with even the photography and behind-the-scenes work contributing to the song’s overall ethos of deeply personal yet universally resonant emotional storytelling.
Ultimately, It Should Be You is not just a song about heartbreak; it is an introspective journey into the nature of loss, memory, and emotional survival. NYRE presents herself as not merely a pop artist but a storyteller and philosopher of the heart, grappling with the complexities of human experience. The track captures the listener in its emotional web, making us question how we, too, carry our pasts with us—and whether we can ever truly escape them. Through both sound and lyric, NYRE crafts a narrative that is as much about individual catharsis as it is about the shared human condition, making It Should Be You a powerful anthem for anyone who has ever been haunted by love. We have added the track to our New Music Spotlight playlist, as well as our TRIPPY and TIMELESS playlists!