It seems like Kim Petras is taking a page out of Charli XCX’s book of promotion. Just shy of a month after releasing the comeback single “Broken,” the singer has dropped an additional four songs; the latest, “All I Do Is Cry,” is the closest in sound and theme to the aforementioned track, perhaps serving as a prequel to Petras’ shattered heart. Consisting of crescendoing electric guitar, trap hi-hats, and the singer’s forceful vocals, “All I Do Is Cry” is the most sonically interesting of the five recent singles — and I suspect she knows it, too.
Petras and her partner on the cusp of a breakup at the start of the track, the singer pleading that she needs them “more than air” and swearing that no one can compete where they don’t compare. The production behind her begins to make its presence known as things lead into the chorus, where the breakup is now behind the singer and she’s wallowing in the aftermath; “took a fatal blow to my heart” and “you’re just gonna keep me bleeding” are the most visceral lyrics here. Verse two follows her as she learns to navigate life without her lover, numbing the pain away and wishing she never met them — we’ve all been there. Like the best Petras songs, “All I Do Is Cry” hones in on the extraordinary power of a broken heart and creates an anthem out of it.
Rating: 4/5