With her new single "Hold Me," pop artist Eraste gets real about the raw, messy side of love and self-worth. She's gained notoriety by building her name as one of the freshest voices in pop, but this track feels like a new level. It is introspective, a little heartbreaking, and honestly so relatable. Set against a synth-heavy production handled by British producer Sevenths, "Hold Me" takes us into the bittersweet side of relationships where you give it all and at times it still isn't enough.
The track opens with, "Back on my knees where I belong, begging for somebody to stay." Right off the bat, Eraste pulls us in with a vulnerability that hits hard. She said that it reflects the real fight she had been through: the continuous search for someone to love her as much as she did. Stuff which most of us feel, and rather seldom say out loud—frustration from one's wanting someone's affirmation and such like, coming to the realization that sometimes this just won't happen. With "Hold Me," Eraste places those emotions front and center, taking listeners on a ride that's both painfully real and empowering.
The production is then layered with bright synths that uplift the song, even when the lyrics cut deep. This gives "Hold Me" almost an anthemic quality. While Eraste sings about heartbreak and emotional weight, the beat propels it forward—she might be thought of as pushing through pain and turning it into a force. It's this mix of heavy lyrics and an energetic sound that gives "Hold Me" such a unique vibe—it's both a heartbreak song and a reminder you can move forward.
I start “Hold Me” with the line “Back on my knees where I belong begging for somebody to stay” because I have spent my entire life begging for anyone to like me, to listen to me, to love me the way that I love them. But, I realized that no matter what you do, sometimes it’s not enough. I found myself posed with the question, “What do you do when it’s not enough?” I wrote this song in the heat of the frustration I felt from failing to get someone to like me and finished it with the peace of setting myself free from the expectations of others. This song is about that freedom I found. - Eraste
Eraste's lyrics are the epitome of that tension: lines like "I was never good at letting go until it's all up in flames" and "Convince myself this time it'll be different, do everything to keep your interest" really capture that feeling we know a little too well: the internal struggle of trying to hold on to what's slipping away. And even when it seems completely hopeless, there's a sort of strength in her words. She's open about her feelings of putting herself out there, at risk for love, even when she knows it just might not work out.
Then again, the chorus is where the song really nails it: "No one can hold me…some people are just too heavy to hold." It is here that Eraste has acknowledged a truth so many of us are almost scared to face. Maybe it isn't because we are "too much," but because kinda few people are ready to handle who we really are. In that sentence, there is something self-accepting, a recognition that her self-worth is not bound up in whether or not somebody else can "hold" her. That's a strong reminder for anyone who may have ever felt like they're just "too much" for some people; it's worth it being true to oneself, even if that means some people can't handle it.
With "Hold Me," Eraste isn't just dropping another pop single but stepping into a new era for her music, where she is unfiltered and raw. This song takes precedence over being made for anyone who's encountered the emotional rollercoaster from unrequited love to feeling like one is never good enough in a relationship. It's a candid track that says it is okay to be vulnerable, feel deeply, and even slightly stumble. Eraste is showing that sometimes the strongest thing you can do is to own up to every single part of yourself, even those parts that feel a little too intense. Above all, "Hold Me" is more than just a song; it's the reminder that you do not have to apologize for being yourself. Should anyone ever have felt that they were "too much," this song feels like an anthem just for them. And with her forthcoming EP Memory of Us, Eraste is most certainly proving to be one of those artists who will literally delve and take us down that tunnel. It's raw, real, and just what so many of us are searching for these days: a reminder amidst heartbreak, there's something beyond, and that starts with holding on to who you truly are.
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Eraste on Spotify & YouTube.
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