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Undine Markus

Los Angeles artist Stephen Swartz, known simply as Stephen, has released his new single "I Never Stay in Love." And it's addicting.

The new song is a preview of his upcoming album Akrasia, which is expected to arrive this summer. The song is said to be reflective of a relationship he had while traveling the world, inspired by fleeting love and a microcosm of many of his past relationships.

"I’ve found in my own life, with certain compulsions for distraction and addictive tendencies—the things that leave me wanting more are generally destructive," he says. "I’m using whatever reward it’s giving me as an escape from a problem, to relinquish responsibility or not have to deal with something—be it ourselves or a situation or circumstance. I tend to fall in love really hard and really fast, and I give someone so much, and then it burns out just as quick, and I no longer want it. And it’s often because I recognize the clinging desperate nature of my relationships once the initial honeymoon dust settles."

Perhaps it's that gun-wrenching context which makes the song so enamoring, starting with its delicate first notes, building fast and quickly encapsulating you. The inspiration may be a complicated one, but the song is such an easy listen, worth putting on repeat.

Hear "I Never Stay in Love" below.