When Chxrry loves, she loves hard. She’ll go so far as to be a “Groupie” to her partner, just to profess her unyielding devotion. In the R&B-pop singer’s new single “Bottles & Lights,” featuring Mariah The Scientist, that loyalty is met with betrayal — but she doesn’t let it break her.
Believve’s production flows smoothly like Don Julio 1942, while the Nextel chirps signal a direct connect with her gal pals for a night on the town. As ethereal as the soundscape is, Chxrry delivers a devastating blow to her estranged partner, reminding him that her love isn’t to be taken for granted.
She starts venomous — “I’m not your momma, I’ll leave you / Just like your father, I’ll leave you” — then pivots to petty defiance: “I’ma round all my hoes up, I’m jaded / I’ma wear that lil’ dress that you hated.”
Mariah The Scientist confronts her unfaithful partner, too: “Said I want a winner, but not the kind that would cheat.” She admits that she was fooled, but she doesn’t let naysayers’ comments go unchecked. “If y’all got so much to say, then why y’all ain’t been stop me?” she asks.
Even amid the tumultuous side of love, “Bottles & Lights” succeeds because it isn’t just about venting; it carries an underlying sense of empowerment and community through the mantra, “All my real bitches back in style.”
The visualizer for ‘Bottles & Lights’ starts with a daytime stop at Waffle House before the sun sets and the song’s title is brought to life in a packed club.
“Bottles & Lights” is the latest offering from Chxrry’s debut album, U Me & My Ego, coming later this year via XO Records/Republic Records.
The project is also expected to include the singles “Hall of Fame,” “Groupie,” “Main Character” and “Just Like Me,” though an official tracklist has not been revealed.
U, Me & My Ego will follow Chxrry’s 2023 EP, Siren. The project includes “Favorite Girl” featuring Offset, “More” and “Never Had This.” Siren marked a shift in sonic direction from her debut EP, The Other Side (2022).
Chxrry, formerly known as Chxrry22, told Rated R&B, “I didn’t even have a mindset for The Other Side. I was like, ‘God, I hope this works.’ With The Other Side, I was definitely more unsure and more hungry. I didn’t have that confidence.” She added, “Making Siren was a lot easier and fun because I got to be myself and tell all the fun stories that I wanted to tell without the pressure of, ‘Am I gonna make it?’”
Stream Chxrry and Mariah The Scientist’s “Bottles & Lights” below.
