[Polished velvety voice — calm, controlled:] I start the verse the way they like, Soft and steady, sweet and slight. Royal faces in a row, Waiting for the perfect glow. [Polished velvety voice — artificial glamour:] I paint my tone in silver light, Every phrase a gentle sight. I hold the shine, I hold the gloss, Careful not to show the loss. [Polished velvety voice — still controlled:] I’m the shimmer on their night, A quiet glow, a borrowed light. If I stay flawless, if I stay sweet, They’ll call this voice their royal treat. [**BRIDGE — PAUSE, music drops to silence**] … … (soft breath, no instruments) [**Musical cue — BPM jumps to 120, heavy guitar enters**] [Accidental gritty alto — her real voice breaks through:] I forget the room, forget the rules, Forget the quiet royal fools. My voice jumps back to where I’m from— The stage I owned, the beat, the drum. [Gritty alto — louder, guitars rising:] I hit a note that shakes the glass, A sound that doesn’t gently pass. The crowd looks up, the room goes still— My real voice climbing up the hill. [Polished voice — panicked correction:] I’m sorry—soft, soft, soft again, I didn’t mean to break the frame. I smooth the edges, hide the spark, Pull myself back into the dark. [Polished velvety voice — trembling:] I sing the way they want to hear, A borrowed tone, a borrowed cheer. But echoes linger in the air— My real voice hanging everywhere. [Soft gritty alto — quiet, honest outro:] Just me… Just the sea… Just the voice I’m meant to be…
