There’s something magnetic about the kind of song that feels like both a confession and a confrontation. Freya Magee’s new single, “Forget Yourself Not,” captures that tension in motion, spiraling between dreamlike textures and emotional sharpness. It’s the kind of track that sounds like it was written in the haze of a late London night, long after the wine glasses have emptied and the words said can’t be taken back.
Following her reflective debut “Duplicity,” Magee takes a bolder step here. The Melbourne-born, London-based singer-songwriter leans into a glistening indie-pop sound that expands her palette beyond folk intimacy. Shimmering synths, wiry guitars, and unpredictable drum patterns give the song a restless energy that matches the emotional push-and-pull at its core. Her voice carries frustration and disbelief, yet there’s something deeply empathetic in the way she delivers each line. She’s not just angry that someone forgot what they said; she’s bewildered by how fragile human sincerity can be.
The song’s premise is simple but painfully familiar: people spilling secrets and tenderness in the dark, only to retreat from them in daylight. “It’s about the whiplash of trying to hold people to their words when they can’t even remember saying them,” Magee explains. That sentiment runs through every corner of the track. Lines like “your stirring words all tumble out onto the tablecloth” and “your burnt hand’s reaching for the same flame” play like snapshots from a night that felt real until it wasn’t.
Producer Phil Taylor builds the instrumental around this instability. The drums never settle into a predictable rhythm, instead flickering in and out like half-formed thoughts. Guitars shimmer and fade, synths pulse like afterglow. It’s lush and cinematic, yet it carries the intimacy of a late-night voicemail. At one point, Magee stretches the word “rerun” into a tape-slowed echo, as if time itself is looping around a moment she’s still trying to make sense of.
There’s a growing sophistication in her writing. Where “Duplicity” felt like a conversation with herself, “Forget Yourself Not” feels like an open letter to the world. The song doesn’t beg for understanding; it simply documents the chaos of emotional contradiction. Magee’s ability to turn fleeting feelings into fully realized songs is what makes her voice so promising. She doesn’t just describe heartbreak—she deconstructs it, examines its edges, and rebuilds it into something beautiful.
What’s most striking is how self-assured this second single sounds. For an artist still early in her journey, Magee already has a clear sonic identity: poetic yet direct, wistful yet grounded. Her blend of indie sensibility and pop accessibility feels natural rather than strategic. You can imagine her performing this in a dimly lit venue, her voice cutting through the noise like a memory that refuses to fade.
Featured Images: Artist Supplied
