Seattle-based SYML has released a new tease into his upcoming 4th album Nobody Lives Here. A reflection into love and heartbreak, “Heartbreakdown” offers listeners a simple but serene insight into the contractions of grief throughout life.
About the song, SYML explains that “no one is immune to heartbreak, and it happens when we are young and old.” The lyrics encapsulates the many different types of grief over love, listing them in the verses: “it might find you at the station / sit beside you on the train.” By using simple day-to-day examples in his writing, SYML connects to listeners easily, letting seemingly small moments become big. The chorus is simple but lets listeners reflect on the message more actively. In a full circle moment, the bridge of the song bookends the beginning from “here’s a thing about a heartbreak” to “here’s the thing about forgiveness.” This mirrors the stages of grief, highlighting the small, subtle ways SYML elevates his songwriting.
SMYL wrote, recorded and produced “Heartbreakdown” independently and uses simple and minimal instrumentation. A guitar, kick drum and string quartet is all that is needed for the song, ensuring that the quiet message is given focus. The strings are used to give a small build as the song moves, before letting the guitar return to the forefront at the end of the song. While there isn’t much to be said about the instrumentation, it works well for the overall tone and mood of SYML’s music.
2025 is set to be a busy year for SYML with the upcoming Nobody Lives Here releasing on the 4th of April followed by his headlining tour, How It Was It Will Never Be Again Tour, across Europe. You can listen to “Heartbreakdown” now wherever you find your music.
