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Lexa Gates is ready to show us exactly who she is. The 24-year-old rapper, singer, and producer has announced her sophomore album, I Am, arriving on January 16. Alongside the announcement, she shares her new single and video, "Estranged." The single is a moody, introspective anthem of love fading in the glow of ambition, painting a visceral portrait of distance, memory, and the price to be paid for emotional survival as Lexa boldly wears her vulnerability on her sleeve.

The song begins with a groovy, retro-inspired keyboard arrangement, mellow, steady percussion, and Gates's sultry, smoky vocals. In her verses, she bears it all, speaking raw, painfully honest bars such as, "Don't lеave me hanging, 'cause without you I might hang mysеlf/ Know I got disorders, been had issues with my mental health," with hypnotic production that balances strength and sorrow.

On the chorus, she's trying not to be a clingy "freak," unless that is what they're into, but at the same time wants them to communicate with her and not leave her hanging dry. She goes on to paint a picture of devotion, nights by the phone waiting for her lover's call. She knows that loving them has deeply changed her, and she hopes they won't leave her "estranged."

The new single marks Gates's latest, and perhaps greatest, addition to her discography after a steady run of 2025 singles, all of which are set to appear on her highly anticipated sophomore album. Channeling the raw emotional intensity of Fiona Apple, Amy Winehouse, and Lana Del Rey in I Am, Gates pairs slick-talking candor with siren-like vocals that grapple with love, obsession, and desire. The new release also follows the end of her North American headline tour and coincides with an exceptional performance at Art Basel at Reserved in Miami.

Be sure to check out Lexa Gates' most recent single, "Estranged," today!