Lila Dupont teases her upcoming work with a brand-new ballad.
“I Promise” is the first of four singles that will be released by singer/songwriter Lila Dupont throughout 2024. The track, which came out on Jan. 5th, is the artist’s first release of the year.
“I Promise” is a simple yet captivating ballad, championed by warm acoustic guitar and Dupont’s breathy vocals. Built upon a simple chord progression, the song’s musicality is fluid – never disjointed or incohesive – an effect created by expert vocal harmony. This layering fills any sonic gaps created by the absence of other instruments. What’s surprising about this is Dupont manages this effect without using grandiose riffs or over-the-top vocalization.
Stripped back and uncomplicated, “I Promise” is a perfect example of the sad indie-girl sound.
In the song’s description on Invasion Merch, Dupont said that “‘I Promise’ was written following a period when [she] felt let down by someone who had already let [her] down in the past.” She went on to say that “[the song] is the most personal song [she has] written and is the most honest [she has] ever been in [her] songwriting.” When listening to the narrative Dupont spins throughout the song, this isn’t hard to believe.
The track starts with an expert painting of Dupont as tired and misanthropic, traits she has acquired through age. No longer naïve to meaningless touches and empty promises, the singer has grown cold, failing to react appropriately during periods of high emotion. While Dupont seems to want to be this way all the time, this is something she says is “easier imagined than guaranteed.”
The chorus showcases that behind this rocky exterior, Dupont wishes that her lover would take back the things they have done to hurt her. She simply cannot take it anymore. Her spirit has been stamped out, the lyrics stating that she is “as stepped on as the sidewalks and the floors.”
While whatever has transpired between Dupont and her lover remains vague, the lyrics (and Dupont’s own account) suggest that she can no longer take her partner’s constant dishonesty. In the final verse, the singer begs for the truth, saying that she is “getting nauseous / I’ve got this pit in my stomach / Just be honest.”
Dupont concludes the song with the lines “I’m giving up on you / I promise,” marking the only time that titular statement is used in the body of the lyrics. This is an interesting choice, suggesting that while the song follows the path Dupont has to take there, the most important part of the track is her finally finding the ability to leave. She is fed up, exhausted and unable to continue in the same direction she has been travelling. She is giving up: something that should not be seen as a failure but instead a difficult move toward better times.
While the spirit of “I Promise” hides behind the relatively recognizable façade found in a variety of TikTok’s newest sad girl singer/songwriters, the lyrics set it apart from others of its kind. Rather than reflecting solely on the heartbreak of love lost, “I Promise” tells the story of someone finding the courage to move on, stepping away from a dangerous cycle of dishonesty.
While Dupont could have taken more risks with the musicality of the song, the track is still a strong addition to the artist’s quickly growing discography.