Empara Mi has long been a voice that defies convention, and her latest single, I Can’t, is no exception. As the first chapter of her forthcoming album, Monsters & Masochists, this heartbreak-laden anthem traces the contours of loss and lets them bleed into every note. With lyrics that seem to be torn from the pages of premonition, Empara Mi wrote I before experiencing the very devastation she feared, turning this track into a cruel case of life mirroring art.
Proving how frivolously the word ethereal is thrown around, Empara Mi’s vocal delivery is as otherworldly as it is gut-wrenching. The sombre introspection quivers through each aching vibrato harmony, carried by a sparse yet cinematic arrangement that makes every moment linger in the silence.
In parts, the instrumentation strips itself to the bare iridescent bones of reverb bleeding from a lone synth note, yet nothing is left hollow—this is a masterclass in knowing when to hold back and when to let the weight of emotion fracture through.
From one soul to another, I Can’t is a reflection of alienation, a meditation on grief that deepens in resonance with every discordant beat.
I Can’t is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, setting the stage for what promises to be Empara Mi’s boldest and most vulnerable era yet.
Review by Amelia Vandergast