Singer-songwriter laye returns with her newest release and accompanying video for “unhappier.” “unhappier,” a guitar-driven alt-pop breakup anthem, continues the artist’s rich sonic direction, immersed in the tradition of some of the 90s most iconic female-led alternative tracks.
The official music video for “unhappier” premiered July 14th, followed by an official YouTube Afterparty with laye for premium YouTube users! laye will discuss the making of the video, her involvement in the creative direction and the relationships that forged this emotional song and music video.
Co-written by laye, Cici Ward (Cheat Codes, Lil Huddy, GAYLE), and Oscar Neidhardt (Thirty Seconds to Mars, Adam Lambert, Conan Gray), “unhappier” is a song “about heartbreak, but also about love,” says laye. “My hope is that people find comfort in the mundane emotions of jealousy and unhappiness and really find some solace in the fact that those feelings are universal.”
“unhappier,” says laye, “is a breakup song written from the perspective of someone who really doesn’t wish that person well. At the root of it, though, it’s still a love song. You love that person so much that you can’t yet wish them well. So many songs are either all about “I love you” or all about “I hate you,” but it’s also more true to the human experience to feel different and sometimes contradictory things at the same time. So this song lies somewhere in between.
The accompanying music video captures that moment when you realize you’re losing a relationship you’re still in, the overwhelming feeling of grief and loss mixed up with love and heartbreak.
“unhappier” is the first song laye wrote on what will be her forthcoming EP, and stands at the heart of the new music, with a new, confident sound and poignant lyrics. Stay tuned for more to come from laye.
BIO
Montreal-born-and-raised singer/songwriter laye first floated onto the scene and released four tracks in 2018. laye’s sultry, alt-flavored pop and gothic aesthetic guided her 2019 debut album lonesome, which was created over the course of four years with a slew of legendary pop and hip-hop producers, including Lauren Christy (Dua Lipa, Avril Lavigne), Federico Vindver (Jennifer Lopez, Lauryn Hill, G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky), Alex Hope (Troye Sivan), Pomo (Mac Miller, Panderson .Paak), FNZ (Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, Megan Thee Stallion). In 2022, laye returned with her release “I Could Die,” setting the stage for her new music released throughout 2023.
“unhappier” is the newest single, out July 14. “unhappier” continues laye’s foray into the darker aspects of indie pop, featuring live instrumentation and strong pop hooks. Her playful vocals fuse a light, airy melody with signature somber lyrics, making her interior world sound simultaneously apocalyptic and cheery. laye’s last release, “touching myself,” was called “a captivating piece of alt-pop” by Zone Nights and Ones to Watch noted “the release established her as…an edgy, alternative-tinged pop artist to watch.” “touching myself” landed NMF features in the US, Canada, Egypt, Sri Lanka, and Maghreb, a look on the Spotify Canada digital billboard, and back-to-back covers on Spotify’s SALT and It’s A Bop playlists.
As a singer and songwriter, laye is coming into her own and exploring the next chapter of her evolution as an artist. With nearly 12 million global streams, and features in FASHION and Paper magazines, laye is one of our most exciting young pop artists, pursuing a vision all her own while creating beautiful, dystopian pop gems.