Review: "It Was All A Lie" - Leanna Oki

Beyond heartbreak, "It Was All A Lie," the latest single from Leanna Oki, charts the disorienting lack of direction in its aftermath. Opening to a folk-tinged intrumental incorporating synth and acoustic guitar, Oki sets the stage in the direct wake of a breakup. Interestingly, the song breaks into something more stylistically similar to R&B in the chorus. It's a testament to her skill as a songwriter that the two styles are married seamlessly without losing any of the emotional impact. She able to capture complex and nuanced emotion without overcomplicating or muddling the songwriting. The constricting nature of grief in heartbreak locks horns with the paralyzing freedom Oki's left with.

"I don't know which way to go," captures the directness of Oki's lyricism, which is elevated by her emotive and impressive vocals and production. Beyond the sadness of being left behind ("It was all a lie, / 'Cause you said goodbye), she flounders in the loss of direction. Like many, Oki's built herself around this relationship and the trajectory it's built into her life. Left shaken by it's unforeseen end, she expresses her disorientation more than simply grief. "I let myself fall / So where do I go from here? / I'm drowning dear." She's winding herself into knots only to unravel again and again.

Asian-Canadian singer-songwriter, Leanna Oki, has been writing and recording her own hand-written tracks for over seven years. Her style blends elements from pop, R&B, and electronic music alongside her emotive lyrics and vocals. As a multi-instrumentalist, Oki retains creative control over her music's creation. The artist began releasing her music in 2020. "It Was All A Lie" arrives as her second single of the year.

Written By Andy Mockbee

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