Establishing the mood with an intricate and cinematic piano performance featuring a cosmic string arrangement, Exzenya opens Forgiven For The Last Time with emotional depth and her signature vocals as she sings, “He heard my voice quiver as I began to speak, his eyes locked with mine, he knew then, emotions were going to peak, we both knew that I had forgiven for the last time…”
We immediately connect with the self-realized resonance and the cathartic lyricism. Sonically, this is a more stripped-back and emotional version of Exzenya. We know she can channel her ferocity, but to hear her soul bared like this is very moving indeed.
In essence, the song is about the hardest person to forgive: yourself. As the narrative unfolds, we discover that the real turning point isn’t about pardoning someone who has caused us pain, but recognising the ways we have abandoned ourselves along the way.
The line, “It wasn’t him that needed my forgiveness, I needed to forgive me…” is genius and so consciously astute. We love the concept and how this becomes the emotional centre of the track. We appreciate Exzenya‘s honesty and the wisdom that she shares.
At 86 BPM, the song doesn’t rely on a big climax, but there are some touches of classic Exzenya drama with the chords. Her vulnerability and strength really shine through. The influence of her musical inspirations such as Lady Gaga, particularly the emotional intensity of I’ll Never Love Again, and Elton John can also be felt.
For sync placements, we can imagine Forgiven For The Last Time working well in films like A Star Is Born, The Bridges of Madison County, The Last Five Years, Blue Valentine and The Pursuit of Happyness. On television, it could fit into This Is Us, Big Little Lies, Firefly Lane, The Morning Show or Maid.
Needless to say, we continue to be obsessed with Exzenya‘s tenacity and authenticity, and have added Forgiven For The Last Time to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Exzenya, including International Power, and The Fans Applauded.