Emerging R&B singer Ballad has teamed with Durand Bernarr for a new track, “Alone Again.”
The Aidan Carroll-produced track is smooth like butter, but lyrically, it cuts deep like a knife. On “Alone Again,” Ballad and Bernarr contemplate a relationship gone wrong and whether it was ended too soon.
“Baby, we took it too far / Both said some things / We didn’t mean / I didn’t mean / To get careless with your heart,” Ballad sings in the first verse.
Bernarr appears in verse two, crooning, “How did I get here? / It didn’t take long / I gotta regulate (throwing me all away) / Made me a casualty / With no understanding.”
“Oftentimes after a breakup, we wonder if it was worth it: What was the point of it all? The inspiration behind ‘Alone Again’ was to honor those feelings,” Ballad explains to Rated R&B. “Durand is one of my favorite vocalists. To have worked with him on this song was like a dream come true. He really elevates you as an artist.”
“Alone Again” is Ballad’s first song since 2023’s “Stories.” Prior to that, he released the sweet-sounding “Lemonade” in 2022 and the sleep-deprived “Orange” in 2021. The latter track is Ballad’s most-streamed song on Spotify, with nearly 1.1 million plays.
As for Bernarr, the rising star who delivered one of the most enthralling Tiny Desk performances in recent memory, has been on a roll this year. In May, he released his visual EP, En Route, as an appetizer for his highly awaited next album.
En Route was preceded by the singles “Unknown” and “Fist Bump” featuring Free Nationals. The former track includes writing and production by Louis York, the musical duo consisting of Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony.
“En Route is the by-product of my experiences and evolution as both a person and an artist. It’s me expressing exactly how I feel, what I need, and how I want to be treated,” Bernarr explained.
“While narrating these stories, I wanted to incorporate the eras, genres, cultures, instruments, and music legends that inspire me. And what did I say would happen when I finally got some music video money?”
Stream Ballad and Durand Bernarr’s new song “Alone Again” below.
