Few songs carry the weight of raw vulnerability as effortlessly as Wait I Can’t Bare by Sabrielle. From the very first notes, the opus envelops us in an emotive strings arrangement, underscored by a delicate yet intricate piano performance. Sabrielle’s voice enters like a whisper of memory, carrying the weight of unresolved conflict: “There’s a tether on my heart, pulling me closer to you, while you pull us apart…” These opening lines set the stage for a deeply introspective narrative, where the past and present blur into a haunting reel of regrets and unspoken words. The song is not just an exploration of heartbreak; it is a study of the human condition, of our desperate need to be seen, held, and understood.
The sonic landscape of Wait I Can’t Bare is lush and cinematic, a perfect score for the silent heartbreaks that unfold in real life. Jessica Tseng’s live strings performance, arranged by Ricardo, weave through the melody like emotional undercurrents, each crescendo and decrescendo mirroring the push-and-pull of an anxious heart. Sabrielle’s vocals carry a remarkable depth, moving effortlessly from breathy intimacy to powerful, soaring notes that demand attention. The harmonies, rich and layered, feel less like simple vocal additions and more like echoes of a fractured self, each voice a different version of the protagonist – pleading, remembering, hoping, aching.
There is something deeply psychological about this song; it captures the universal fear of abandonment with a striking level of nuance. Drawing from attachment theory, Wait I Can’t Bare reflects the friction between anxious and avoidant tendencies – where one partner reaches out while the other retreats into solitude. The song embodies the torment of waiting: the silence that grows heavier, the unanswered texts that feel like daggers, the way love sometimes manifests as longing rather than presence. It is the moment of tension in a reality show like Love Is Blind, where a partner walks away in search of clarity while the other is left drowning in questions.
Sabrielle‘s ability to craft such an emotionally charged ballad is testament to her keen understanding of both music and human emotion. Inspired by the likes of Adele and Sara Bareilles, she masterfully employs a close-mic technique in the verses, allowing us to hear every crack in her voice, every waver of uncertainty. Then, in a climactic shift, the song swells into a breathtaking finale – her voice soaring over the instrumental arrangement, demanding recognition, refusing to be dismissed. The final notes linger, reverberating long after the song ends, much like the unresolved emotions it encapsulates.
What makes Wait I Can’t Bare so compelling is its honesty. Sabrielle does not shy away from discomfort, instead leaning into the pain of self-exploration. Her songwriting is confessional, and yet, deeply relatable. The song’s origin, a poem written in the aftermath of a fight, only adds to its authenticity. In sharing her personal experience, she grants the listener permission to confront their own wounds, to sit with their own fears of abandonment. “Honestly, I’ve felt abandoned before – by others and also by myself,” she admits. This revelation is perhaps the song’s deepest cut: the understanding that sometimes, our greatest betrayals come from within.
Beyond this single, Sabrielle’s artistry is a testament to resilience and reinvention. With a voice steeped in the soulful traditions of gospel, jazz, and R&B, she carries a musical lineage that informs her unique sound. Growing up in a household where harmonies were second nature, it was only a matter of time before she stepped into her own as a songwriter. Now, as a queer, neurodivergent artist navigating life’s upheavals, her music serves as both a refuge and a revelation. Each lyric, each note, is a step toward self-acceptance, toward understanding the intricacies of love and loss.
Wait I Can’t Bare is an emotional experience, an unraveling of the self in the face of love’s complexities. For those who have ever found themselves staring at their phone, waiting for a message that may never come, for those who have whispered words into the void hoping they might still be heard – this song is for you. Sabrielle does not just sing about heartbreak; she captures its essence, wrapping it in a melody so hauntingly beautiful that, for a moment, the pain feels almost poetic. We have added the debut opus to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from the rising star!