Singer-songwriter avalon shares heartfelt track “sydney,” a deeply personal and emotional song about mourning a relationship with her childhood best friend. She blends soft indie pop with beautiful, cinematic production, allowing the song to capture the bittersweet pain of growing apart from someone close.
It’s raw and full of emotion, opening with steady piano chords and delicate vocals which later unfold into layers of drums, strings, and harmonies. The buildup of her harmonies and instrumentals reaches an emotional climax, mirroring the grief and nostalgia that inspired avalon. The track is simple on the surface, but her lyricism is honest and vulnerable.
avalon commented on the story behind “sydney”:
“I began to mourn her. Mourning someone who is still alive is incredibly difficult (especially if they live so close haha). That being said, when I needed her, I would simply drive past her house. On multiple occasions, pathetic to admit, I would be sobbing and talking to nothing saying ‘I am sorry’. I felt very ashamed of myself. To get rid of that guilt, I sat down at my piano and sang it — ‘I drove past your house, crying,’ and that is when verse 1 was born.”
True to its name, avalon shared that her childhood best friend’s name actually is Sydney. avalon describes the song as “an overdue, proper goodbye to someone I will love for the rest of my life,” and that tenderness echoes through every note.
For fans of Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish, The Marías, Clairo, and Bella Kay, Avalon’s “sydney” is an unmissable listen. It is a reminder of how heartbreak can be beautiful when it’s honest.
