I always appreciate when artists’ submit their music with a personal message. The beauty of music is the connections we make with its lyrics, theme, and/or sound. Many of us have been through some type of ending in a relationship either romantic or otherwise, and the pain can be overwhelming. When this happens in my life I almost always turn to music to feel less alone – and to gather strength.

Cayo Coco of LA took me back to the swirl of depression that enveloped me after my first major break up – a remembrance that didn’t make me sad, but proud of myself. In his new song Parallel, I heard a poet that also turned to music to cope with a romance that ended. It’s just over 4 minutes – and I was drawn in from the beginning. After a few streams, I really took in what he was saying, and more so how he said it. His light and melodic vocals are laced over a beat he co-produced with Austin Marc that sent me into a space I had gone numb to years ago. 

Cayo gave me a preamble before the SoundCloud link, sharing that he Ubered to Griffith Park to pen this. Emotions swirled in his body, and out came Parallel. The lyrics come from a place of hindsight, looking back on a failed relationship & attributing the majority of its demise to opposite worldviews. Something good came out of it (which is expressed,) as he learned that the only person you can change is yourself. I connected with this message deeply, as I struggle with this realization myself.  Sonically, Parallel features a memorable and addictive hook, accompanied by a switch up of flows, uses of vocals, and progression in the story. Parallel is available via Apple Music, which you can grab here.