Free Enough to Leave

Dream pop fused with lo-fi Nocturnal Drift Phonk; radio-ready master with tape haze, shimmering reverb-soaked guitars, soft analog pads, and distant spectral harmonies, Low adult female lead, breathy and close-mic, deliberate and quietly amused, with whispered doubles and blue notes on emphasized lyrics, Warm sliding 808s, heartbeat sub, restrained distorted cowbell, glitch clicks, metallic taps, reversed impacts, celesta, muted cello slides, dusty clipped kicks, cracked snares, nervous trap hats, and abrupt silence; spacious 88 BPM drift that deepens in choruses through bass pressure and widening guitars, ‑aggressive phonk, ‑upbeat phonk, ‑house phonk, ‑Memphis rap vocals, ‑speed rap, ‑hard cowbell lead, ‑constant trap hats, ‑huge bass drops, ‑festival EDM, ‑bright pop, ‑bubblegum pop, ‑cheerful energy, ‑triumphant anthem, ‑fragile ingénue vocals, ‑victimized delivery, ‑childish vocals, ‑male lead vocals, ‑vocal belting, ‑constant falsetto, ‑rock anthem, ‑metal, ‑heavy guitar distortion, ‑shoegaze wall of noise, ‑orchestral climax, ‑dense production, ‑muddy vocals, ‑buried lyrics, ‑excessive vocal effects, ‑abrupt genre switching

I knew you were a problem
When the quiet learned your weight
When I stopped enjoying absence
And started calling it late

I liked the clean geometry
Of footsteps through a door
One rhythm arriving
Then nothing anymore

Now your absence has an outline
And the dark repeats your gait
I stopped enjoying silence
And started calling it late

You say, “I’ll see you later”
Like later is assured
I hate the way a casual phrase
Can rearrange the room

Stay because you want to
Say it in your own voice
I can make a room obey me
I can’t counterfeit your choice

So I leave the latch unguarded
Let the hallway hold its breath
Every time you cross the threshold
You make a liar of my dread

No chain
No trick
No pretty little threat

Just the unbearable sound
Of you coming back

I know how to make a warning
Sound exactly like a dare
How to stand inside a silence
Till it notices I’m there

Keeping has been easy
Locks are honest, fear is quick
But I don’t want obedience
Or devotion built from tricks

I could keep you in the room
And never have you near
So I practice doing nothing
While you walk toward the door

Take your coat
Take your time
I won’t sweeten the design

Every exit stays an exit
Every answer remains yours
Still, I listen to your footsteps
When they turn back toward the door

Stay because you want to
Say it in your own voice
I can make a room obey me
I can’t counterfeit your choice

So I leave the latch unguarded
Let the hallway hold its breath
Every time you cross the threshold
You make a liar of my dread

No chain
No trick
No pressure at your back

Nothing but the open door
And you still coming back

Don’t mistake this for surrender
I have not misplaced my teeth
I still recognize a weakness
Long before it learns to speak

I survived before you
Elegantly
Nothing reached the tender parts
Nothing stayed with me

Now the door remains unlocked
And I remain awake
Not because I doubt my strength
But choice is one thing I can’t take

Stay because you want to
Say it in your own voice
I can make the night surround you
I can’t manufacture choice

So I leave the latch unguarded
Let the whole house hold its breath
Every time you cross the threshold
You make a liar of my dread

Stay because you want to
Nothing hidden underneath
You are free to disappear

And you keep choosing me

Choosing me
Choosing me

No command
No guarantee

The door stays open
You stay with me

The latch is still unguarded.

And you’re still here.

2441/7500

I knew you were a problem When the quiet learned your weight When I stopped enjoying absence And started calling it late I liked the clean geometry Of footsteps through a door One rhythm arriving Then nothing anymore Now your absence has an outline And the dark repeats your gait I stopped enjoying silence And started calling it late You say, “I’ll see you later” Like later is assured I hate the way a casual phrase Can rearrange the room Stay because you want to Say it in your own voice I can make a room obey me I can’t counterfeit your choice So I leave the latch unguarded Let the hallway hold its breath Every time you cross the threshold You make a liar of my dread No chain No trick No pretty little threat Just the unbearable sound Of you coming back I know how to make a warning Sound exactly like a dare How to stand inside a silence Till it notices I’m there Keeping has been easy Locks are honest, fear is quick But I don’t want obedience Or devotion built from tricks I could keep you in the room And never have you near So I practice doing nothing While you walk toward the door Take your coat Take your time I won’t sweeten the design Every exit stays an exit Every answer remains yours Still, I listen to your footsteps When they turn back toward the door Stay because you want to Say it in your own voice I can make a room obey me I can’t counterfeit your choice So I leave the latch unguarded Let the hallway hold its breath Every time you cross the threshold You make a liar of my dread No chain No trick No pressure at your back Nothing but the open door And you still coming back Don’t mistake this for surrender I have not misplaced my teeth I still recognize a weakness Long before it learns to speak I survived before you Elegantly Nothing reached the tender parts Nothing stayed with me Now the door remains unlocked And I remain awake Not because I doubt my strength But choice is one thing I can’t take Stay because you want to Say it in your own voice I can make the night surround you I can’t manufacture choice So I leave the latch unguarded Let the whole house hold its breath Every time you cross the threshold You make a liar of my dread Stay because you want to Nothing hidden underneath You are free to disappear And you keep choosing me Choosing me Choosing me No command No guarantee The door stays open You stay with me The latch is still unguarded. And you’re still here.

0/500