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Photo: Courtesy of Interscope Records

Towa Bird, inching closer to her debut album, American Hero, out June 29 via Interscope Records, gives listeners a peek into the aching relatability of the project with her latest single, “Sorry Sorry.” 

In true Towa Bird fashion, the electric guitar tones and solos are unparalleled in “Sorry Sorry,” always just as catchy as the vocal melodies. Her vocals have a simultaneous whispery delivery and tenacious groundedness, depicting the song’s complexity immediately. There’s a cyclical quality to the arrangement of this track, with droning synths and bass flowing steadily as they shift in and out of tension. 

“Sorry Sorry” encapsulates the twisted knife of “what could have been” in an alt-pop anthem. Towa Bird narrates the complex decision of staying just friends with someone you could see a romantic connection with, for fear it would ruin the love you already share. She sings, “If we’re starting something, it’ll be the start of the end / Don’t want another lover / If it means losing you as a friend.” Songs about unrequited love and failed love are plentiful, but this story is harder to tell, for it's about the confusion that comes from a “breakup” with no lack of love.

There’s an array of delicate details that communicate this sincerity sonically, too. Decorating the chorus are cowbells laced in with the standard drum kit, adding a playful yet organic sound to the percussion. Then, a xylophone plucks along the resonant guitar chords, outlining the progression with a thoughtful brightness. These subtle intricacies capture the bittersweetness of “Sorry Sorry,” placing love alongside grief. 

Revealing another facet of sonic and songwriting complexity to anticipate in American Hero, Towa Bird continues to stun listeners with her alt-pop prowess. 

Listen to "Sorry Sorry" below: