Raise your hand if you’ve ever been the toxic one in a relationship! It’s OK, be honest — we’ve all been there at one point or another.
It requires copious amounts of emotional maturity, self-awareness and even practice to hold yourself accountable for the hurt you may cause others. Or sometimes, you just need someone else to tell you how it is. Cassie Dasilva’s new single “We Might Break Up” sheds light on the very process of realizing you are the problem.
This sad bop is quite the opposite from her previous upbeat anthem “Unsolicited Contact” that releases some pent-up anger. “We Might Break Up” is an introspective, painfully self-aware track that demonstrates the need to take back the reins when you’re falling off course in life. In describing the scenario that gave rise to her lyrics, Cassie explains, “I was not in the best place — I didn’t feel like I had a lot of control. I was blowing things in my life up and was contemplating ending a really good relationship just so I could regain a sense of control over at least one aspect of my life. It was a self-realization moment of ‘I’m messing this up and I’m not doing the right thing here.’”
Although she maintained a happy, stable relationship with her boyfriend, “sometimes when you’re in a long relationship, there’s this need to wreck it.” Cassie discussed how deep-rooted insecurities and previous traumas can sabotage your long-term relationship with the one you love most. It’s almost as if the past pain won’t allow you to believe you can experience something good, making it a challenge to accept the love you rightfully deserve. The chorus shouts, “I’m obsessing about the things I can’t change, so I shift the blame and put it on you, but you don’t deserve it.” Ouch — talk about destructive behavior.
On the bright side, Cassie’s portrayal of these very real and relatable emotions helps us recognize that we’re not alone. Even though I personally haven’t been in a relationship in years, I can confidently declare that I’m a master of overthinking and hurting my feelings in the process, and there are countless times I’ve found myself unfairly trapping others in the crossfire of my frustrations just because I couldn’t fix or even acknowledge the underlying issue. Relationships aside, whether you’re stuck in a job you hate, annoyed with school or going through it in every facet of life, “it’s easier to blame instead of doing the work to fix it,” says the songwriter. I wholeheartedly agree — ignorance is bliss. However, “We Might Break Up” gives me the opportunity to discern harmful traits and find solace in the fact that others experience them, but ultimately attempt to improve going forward.
While having the ability to acknowledge your own hurtful actions is ideal, it’s often the road less traveled. With Cassie, this self-realization moment of toxicity and sabotage came from a conversation with her mom. She vented, “I’m not happy. I need to move across the country. I need to quit my job,” in addition to cutting her hair off and breaking up with her boyfriend. I can’t even deny this feeling here. If you’ve never contemplated shaving your head, snipping bangs or dyeing your hair a different color in the middle of an emotional breakdown — kudos to you. Can’t relate! In order to prevent a Britney 2008 moment, her mom, who is a professional hairstylist, said, “Woah don’t cut your hair off. Your boyfriend isn’t what you need to fix.”
After soaking in these wise words, Cassie took her pen to paper, let her thoughts flow and flushed out the problem. Thus, “We Might Break Up” was born. She reveals “it was a bit scarier (releasing this song) because it’s me admitting to being the bad guy. I’m also shitty sometimes too … it’s important to admit and acknowledge those flaws.”
Her dark, sad girl at the bar, crying on the way home vibe in the music video perfectly reflects the loneliness of dealing with this inner turmoil. She wanted people to feel uncomfortable throughout the storyline in order to understand the hardship she’s experiencing. One viewer commented, “I loved this, but it’s toxic,” to which the star agrees: “Yeah! It is! And that’s the point.” It’s her way of calling herself out, so the video focused on her actions and nobody else’s. As for the production crew, Cassie worked with an entirely nonmale team, just like “Unsolicited Contact,” with the exception of her boyfriend featured in the video. The last time I sat down with her, she expressed how often she was outnumbered and discouraged in the predominantly-male music industry. This time around, Cassie felt the support of both her team and boyfriend, especially when he remarked, “it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen” to witness only women and nonbinary crew members on set.
The artist perfectly executed her vision for the video, and the limitations of COVID-19 couldn’t have aligned better with her scene alone at the bar. Despite Canada’s restrictions, Cassie’s found great ways to keep her creative flow and stay occupied. She’s constantly writing and listening to music, and she noted some of her current favorite artists: Kacey Musgraves, Lennon Stella, Winnetka Bowling League and, of course, Taylor Swift. As a singer-songwriter, Cassie mentions that “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” must have been a cool moment for Taylor to make artistic changes she’s considered while performing for years. “There’s stuff I’ve looked back on of mine where I’m like ‘Oh, I would’ve made a different choice there,’” when it comes to intonation or where she took a breath. With regard to “We Might Break Up,” I don’t think Cassie has a single thing to fix.
If crying in the club isn’t quite your vibe and you’d rather bump jams, Hot Girl Summer is coming soon! Stay tuned for a new single, followed by Cassie’s EP which will be released shortly after. She hinted that there’s a great mix of tunes for everyone to enjoy. Not every song is the same because relationships aren’t linear — “you can still be processing a heartbreak while you’re totally happy with someone else.” When she’s not stringing together melodies based on her own experiences, Cassie’s constantly hearing stories from her friends about love, heartbreak and everything in between (always there for the besties <3). In true artistic fashion, she draws inspiration from these situations and lyricizes all the feels when it comes to romance. This EP has got it all! Until then, continue blasting “We Might Break Up” and “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and get ready to stream Cassie DaSilva everywhere.
Listen to Cassie’s music:
To stream “We Might Break Up,” click here.
To stream her entire discography, click here.
To connect with Cassie:
Instagram: @cassiedasilva
TikTok: @cassiedasilva
Twitter: @cassiedasilva
Facebook: @cassiedasilvamusic
Website: www.cassiedasilva.com