Just a week after the release of his pensive single, “would you love me now?” Joshua Bassett is back with another surprise track, “SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID.” Merging elements of pure pop with slow-burning funk, the upbeat anthem shows off Bassett’s range, in a welcomed departure from the rising star’s previous release. While “would you love me now?” was a nostalgic plea to an ex-lover, “SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID” is Bassett wishing to rid himself of an exhausting relationship with his ex.

Bassett is no stranger to heartbreak, and is somewhat of an expert in his own right, crafting intimate lyrics that tackle his own experiences with love, mental health, and everything in between. “Love is messy,” shares Bassett. “Between long-lost love, broken promises, reconciliation, and new beginnings—you can count on one thing: it’s complicated.”

“SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID” tells the story of a drama-filled drunken night out, where Bassett frees himself from a past lover. Lyrics like, “You talk shit like you always do, I guess high school never ends,” unfold over suave synths where the singer starts to see past the intoxicating highs and lows of a relationship. Whereas Bassett has often turned to his own soul-searching as the inspiration for his music, this release is full of blunt examinations of the never ending cycle of a past love. 

The 21-year-old singer has already had an impressive Fall; in the last month, Bassett played sold out shows in New York and Los Angeles, and released his critically acclaimed EP, Sad Songs in a Hotel Room, a 6-track collection that precedes his hotly anticipated full-length studio album. 

The release of “SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID” feels like it could be the start of a new era for Bassett—finally out of the woods from past love and able to write about moving on with the expansion of his sound, diving headfirst into effortlessly cool rhythmic pop.