On Wednesday, Chicago-born, Atlanta-based artist Aáyanna shared her new song "Won't Cry," and it's a stinger.
The gut-wrenching track is one of empowerment as she moves into a new chapter.
"Before I learned how to do my own hair, I was here—on the floor while my mom or grandma got me ready for the day. This photo is my childhood," Aáyanna wrote in a note accompanying the song's artwork on Instagram ahead of the track's release. "The woman in this picture is my comfort. When I’m unsure, lost or broken, this is my place of restoration."
"I wrote 'Won’t Cry' after a breakup with someone I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with," recalls Aáyanna. "I thought I knew love before him, but there were so many experiences that I had with him that made me believe every relationship before that one was incomparable. He broke my heart, and for the longest all I wanted was clarity."
The singer continues: "I questioned whether or not he truly loved me, and if what we had meant anything to him. I questioned our relationship, and if we were just idealizing each other. I even questioned myself, because I only acted in the way I thought love was supposed to look like. I didn’t grow up seeing a healthy version of that in a romantic relationship, so all I could do was guess."
Hear "Won't Cry" now.