Artist(s): Michelle Green
Title: Cry Right Now
Genre(s): Indie Pop, Pop, Electropop
Length: 3:56
Writer: M.Green
Producer: EaziiBoi
Label: La Familia
From The Album: TBA
Cry Right Now is a song by British singer-songwriter, Michelle Green. It serves as the lead single from her yet-to-be-titled upcoming fourth studio. The song marks Green's first release in nine years, following the 2013 ballad, "Live To Tell". The track was released on July 19th, 2022, after announcing it a week prior as part of her 28th birthday celebration. The track was written solely by Green in an attempt to return to her "roots" as a writer after her third studio album saw her collaborate with many others during the writing process. Production of "Cry Right Now" was handled by EaziiBoi, an English producer who had only worked exclusively with Norwegian singer Sonny up until that point. Lyrically, "Cry Right Now", is an ironic take on getting over the breakdown of a relationship. Michelle pokes fun at her unsuccessful dating life, comparing it to a "warped" romantic comedy film and sees her feigning happiness and a sense of closure so not to break down and cry yet again.
The song was written in December 2021 amidst the first official writing and recording sessions of her upcoming fourth studio album. During the interim between releases, Green sporadically worked on new material in the hope of either shopping for a new label of releasing independently. Nothing ever officially materialised over the years, with Michelle often scrapping recordings and debating whether or not she would even like to continue her career in music. After a lengthy break, Michelle returned to the studio with new drive and ambition. A demo recording was shopped to La Familia, a record label owned by rapper Payton. Michelle was then signed to the label in 2020, achieving her first new record deal in almost a decade. From then on, Green officially began work on her fourth album. The creation of "Cry Right Now" was born from the introspective reflecting that Green was doing throughout the process of the record. Wanting to return to her roots for the new album, Michelle focused on her personal life and pulled from her own past. "Cry Right Now" nods to Green's string of high profile relationships and their ultimate failures. Although names aren't explicitly mentioned, the line;
"My weekend was all topsy-turvy" has led many to believe it is a reference to Riley Hamilton of Weekend, whom Michelle has a son with.
Production wise, "Cry Right Now" is an upbeat indie-pop song with elements of synthpop and dance music intertwining. Many critics have cited it as a "return to form" while others have dubbed the sonics as a "natural progression" in Green's music. After a lengthy break from the industry and having released both indie and mainstream sounding pop records in the past, Michelle made a conscious decision to seek out productions that "marry" all of her previous efforts and create something new with the hope of not isolating fans of any of her older albums. "Cry Right Now" is an uptempo song with "jaunty" and "lilted" vocal deliveries set against a "sparkling" synth-laden track, creating a very "light" and "playful" soundscape that juxtaposes the darker lyricism of the song. The bubbling pop beat is countered against the incorporation of electric guitars and a drumbeat, straying away from the "computerised" production that was prominent on her "Live To Tell" album.
Michelle wrote:"It's a bit of a cliché to say that it has been an entire journey to get to this point but that is something that I can't deny. We're creeping up on ten years here. A LOT has happened during that time and the majority of it has been behind closed doors. Pretty much all of my twenties have been spent with just myself and those nearest and dearest to me. It wasn't a conscious decision to stay away for THIS long but I'm glad I've had that time to grow, reflect, live, learn and make mistakes without it all being in the public eye. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't wilder at 25 than I was at 18/19. I'm thankful I got to properly experience life like a regular person without the scrutiny, without it being splashed over Culture Uncut, without someone scolding me the next morning for missing a very important meeting or recording session. I had to go and live in order to be more in touch with myself and the world and in turn, be able to write. I'm just a couple years shy of 30 and I feel as though I now have legitimate thing to say and stories to tell. I have a hunger to fully step into a new chapter of my life both personally and professionally."
"So, here we are with "Cry Right Now" in 2022. My first release in almost a decade. I'm feeling a weird mix of euphoric and being absolutely terrified thinking about the song going live. I'm not really too fussed about how it performs chart wise. I was never one for the numbers game and, let's face it, I'm a woman who's inching closer to thirty and had her pop heyday like ten years ago. I'm lucky to still have the number of fans and well-wishers that I've got left. No, what I'm apprehensive about is the fact that I haven't done this in a LONG time. Have to relearn how to be a proper artist again, really. The reaction of a release, the promo, going back out there into the public eye - that all seems a lifetime ago. Will it be different this time around? I really don't know. I'm scared but it's a good kind of scared. I'm eager, I'm anticipating and I care a lot about this music and the fans. I've spent a lot of time getting to this point. I'm so happy with the song choice, proud of the album and love the team I'm with. Everything is in order...now it's just time to get the ball rolling!"
"I went with "Cry Right Now" as the single because not only did it tick so many boxes for me, but I never second guessed it after listening back to it. I haven't had that 'Eureka!' moment in a long time. Even before being signed to La Familia, I tried to work on some music behind the scenes but it never felt right. I never had that gut feeling about anything. "Cry Right Now" gave me my first lightbulb moment in God knows how long. I knew to trust my instinct and go with it. I've recorded far more extravagant in the past, same way I've done more straightforward, mainstream songs. 'CRN' sits perfectly in all categories for me. I really got to push my pen but I also got to lean into the more playful pop side of things. I got to really express myself while also not sucking the energy out of the room because it also has a joyous flair. The track just sums up everything I wanted to get across and I also think many people will be able to relate to it. If you're not feeling the literal story of the track, I'm sure 2022 still makes you want to cry about something but we keep soldiering on. If we lay down to everything that has been thrown at us lately...Lord!"
"I hope everyone enjoys "Cry Right Now" as much as I do. It has been a mission to get to this point and I can't believe we're here. Can't believe this is only the beginning either! Eek!!"
Critical reception of "Cry Right Now" has been positive thus far with many praising the high standard after her long-awaited return. Writing for
ThatMusicSite, William Farrelly dubbed the song as her
"best lead single yet" before going on to describe it as
"witty as it is catchy". Charlene Derrick of
Stereogum lauded the song for both its production and lyrical content, calling it a
"dance floor ready anthem" while also stating that the track
"maintains the sad-girl lyrics that catapulted Michelle to superstardom in 2009". In
The Guardian, Janet Feyre labelled it an
"insatiable earworm" before crediting the track's accessible sonics, adding;
"Michelle has managed to create something instantly quotable and catchy enough to no doubt go viral all over TikTok while still presenting a song that's smart, incredibly polished and of substance.". In
Consequence of Sound, Alan Cragg branded 'Cry Right Now' as a
"marriage of Michelle's previous sonic ventures" and commended her return to form, claiming;
"without missing a beat, Michelle has returned to claim her indie pop crown. It's like she never left."
"CRY RIGHT NOW"Lived out many lives like a back alley feline
Appears I've wasted seven out of the nine
Always a handsome figure to block out my sunshine
Caught out in the rain without any lifeline
My weekend was all topsy-turvy
Let's hope today will grant me mercy
Why did I ride so hard with an atom bomb?
Craved for kisses all laced with napalm
Laughed it off amidst the destruction
Swear it looks much easier in rom-coms
Hello, heartbreak, my old friend
Always there for me in the bitter end
It's time for the makeover montage
Don't go about trying to self-sabotage
Can't afford to mess up this mascara
A little lipstick to cleanse the aura
So tempting to burn up and burn out
Few glasses of red is sounding sublime
Man, I could really go and cry right now
But I'm afraid I just don't have the time
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Hide away and lick my wounds
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Though that's exactly what I wanna doDo I get too attached when we're merely animal?
Maybe I'm supposed to suffer like a disciple?
Turn pain into art then flip it into capital?
This lack of sleep's screwing with my rationale
If it's all just a cosmic test
Think I've put my work in, now let me ascend
No, I don't want a makeover montage
Just let me skip through to the good part
When it's all singing and dancing in the third act
And they're playing the best song on the soundtrack
So tempting to burn up and burn out
Few glasses of red is sounding sublime
Man, I could really go and cry right now
But I'm afraid I just don't have the time
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Hide away and lick my wounds
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Though that's exactly what I wanna doAnd the fallout still lingers
Embers raining down on this sensitive flesh
I'm still picking out the splinters
Trying to salvage a gem from the mess
But I'm not gonna cry about it
No, no matter how much you'd like it
So tempting to burn up and burn out
Few glasses of red is sounding sublime
Man, I could really go and cry right now
But I'm afraid I just don't have the time
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Hide away and lick my wounds
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Though that's exactly what I wanna doSo tempting to burn up and burn out
Few glasses of red is sounding sublime
Man, I could really go and cry right now
But I'm afraid I just don't have the time
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Hide away and lick my wounds
Not gonna cry, cry, cry, baby, over you
Though that's exactly what I wanna doCan Be Compared To:
