Words by Jaz Wilkins
Pop sensation JESSIA recently wrapped up her first ever headline shows in the US and Canada and has now released her much anticipated track “I’m Not Gonna Cry” on December 13th of 2024. The track is described by critics to be an anthem of self-empowerment and resilience and being able to pull yourself out of the dark times life can sometimes offer us.
The track starts off with some slow, reverbed guitar before immediately heading into the lyrics, which are very powerful and confronting and show themes of a breakup and coping with the new reality of being someone you love and wanting nothing more than to call them up and talk, which is a feeling I know everyone can relate to on some level. The song progresses into the pre-chorus where it changes key, signifying the main protagonist in the song (presumably JESSIA) is trying to uplift herself even in these hard times where you want to do nothing except stay in bed. The lyrics “‘”gluing all the pieces of me I got left, I’ll hold it together” are an amazing segue into the chorus, which changes into a more upbeat and happy tune while singing the lyrics “I’m not gonna cry” over and over. I personally find the chorus of the song to be very compelling as it captures the inner feelings of attempting to get over a loss and continue to be upbeat when you really just want to curl up into a ball and hide away.
As she bowls into the second verse of the song, still remaining as upbeat as the chorus, we can see the protagonist slowly start to come back to herself and find her confidence again, beginning her process of self-empowerment. JESSIA states “bet you thought I’d be crawling back to you when I’m drunk, but don’t expect my calling, I’m sad but good at dancing alone” captures the feeling of wanting to call that specific person who has left your life, but knowing better and choosing to instead love yourself and “dance alone” in life without the need for a companion. She throws herself back into the chorus of the song with the lyrics ‘It’s gonna get better, it’s gonna get worse, but I’m gonna keep on dancing as if it doesn’t hurt’ which is a fantastic way of describing the painful ups and downs of such a gut-wrenching part of someone’s life.
In the third and final verse, we reach a climax as we can see our character finally healed from this loss that has plagued her existence. She sounds happy and confident in herself knowing she doesn’t need this person in her life to be happy. She even yells the lyrics, “I’ll let you kiss me, its familiar in the worst kind of way, but unlike you I learn from my mistakes,” showcasing that JESSIA has healed from past and learnt an amazing lesson in loving herself first before trying to love someone new before quickly ending the song with a shortened version of the chorus with only her voice, which to me symbolises the loud noise in her head finally stopping and helping her to finally think clearly about the situation.
“I’m Not Gonna Cry” is one of JESSIA’s most powerful tracks yet and is definitely going to be a breakup anthem on a lot of people’s playlists. I love how well the instrumental track and the lyrics work together to create a journey of healing that showcases the very authentic and non-linear way of moving on from a previous chapter of your life, before finally reaching the moment of clarity at the end where she realises she does not need anyone but herself in order to be happy, and has instead learnt to take the experience as a lesson and move on to a better future for herself. I absolutely love the relatability and raw emotions the song captures, and JESSIA should be extremely proud of this release.
Loudspeaker Collective 