Kaliyah Lyric’s soulful vocals and Jay Activist’s honest verses give a complicated breakup room to breathe.

Jay Activist strikes me as someone who would figure out any path he chose. Thankfully for us, he chose music and found a sound that lets hip-hop sit beside whatever genre best carries the feeling. On “Lose You Again,” that genre is R&B, and Kaliyah Lyric makes the pairing hit hard.

The instrumental sounds lonely, but it has enough knock to test your speakers’ jaw. Over it, Jay and Kaliyah go back and forth like two people having the conversation they kept putting off. Her vocals bring plenty of soul, and their harmonies are beautiful. Jay’s verses dig into the mistakes, distance, grudges, and games that left the relationship in pieces.

The hardest part of a breakup isn’t always accepting that somebody is gone. Sometimes it’s missing them while hope is still hanging around, even though neither of you has grown enough to make things work. Jay doesn’t dump all the blame on her, either. He recognizes that he played games too, and that honesty gives the song its punch.

“Lose You Again” leaves room for another chance, but only after they’ve both had time to get their minds right. That feels painfully real. The vocals are outstanding, and the story stays with you.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.