Words by Cherry Lamont
Noah Cyrus has made her return to music with a collaboration with Fleet Foxes, an indie band from Seattle, Washington. Cyrus is known for putting her melancholic twist on country-pop, subtly nodding to her Tennessee roots. She’s never shied away from revealing how she feels, with her emotive and comforting folk repertoire.
Her new single ‘Don’t Put it all on Me’, with Fleet Foxes, is no different. Upon the first listen, ‘Don’t Put it all on Me’ is filled with sadness, opened by a single piano solo, with an evident continued ode to Cyrus’ country roots. Written by her brother Braison, the song carries a deeply personal and intimate emotional tone.
The track opens with an eerie stillness, Cyrus’ voice, haunting and reflective, echoes alongside the harmonies of Fleet Foxes, accompanied solely by a sparse piano. This deliberate slow-burn progression mirrors an emotional reckoning, as if Noah is gradually realising the weight of her feelings.
If you listen closely, it seems that Cyrus is engaging in an intimate dialogue with herself, unveiling her innermost truths- but never revealing too much. The lyrics unfold like a whispered affirmation, layered with vulnerability and quiet strength, not directed to persuade others, but to soothe her soul.
“I can’t look away, when I’m watching you move in slow motion, all waves with no ocean, I’m swallowed by the sea.” Her words carry a quiet poetry, capturing the feeling of standing on the sidelines as everything unravels. Yet, as her voice entwines with Fleet Foxes’ in a slow-building, melancholic crescendo, the distance dissolves. You’re no longer just a witness, but drawn into the heart of the sorrow.
The track ends with the line “don’t put it all on me”. It’s a poetic conclusion to a melancholic journey: firm, yet shrouded in unspoken meaning. Perhaps it isn’t ours to interpret. Instead, the song feels like a private offering, destined to soothe in moments of conflict and emotional weight.
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