Many of us have experienced having a forbidden crush — a situation where emotions develop for a friend, but pursuing them would complicate things, such as either not wanting to ruin the friendship, or that this person is already in a relationship. Kristina Rossi’s latest track, “Off Limits,” dives into this narrative. It follows Kristina realizing that her friend, who’s in a relationship of 2 years, has an attraction towards her, and has been splitting her time between Kristina and her boyfriend. Recognizing how unfair this is towards that relationship, Kristina maintains respect for them, and commits to distancing herself. However, it seems to be that the feelings are mutual!
Well, this wasn’t a plot twist that I was expecting. Initially, this track kicked off with it seeming like Kristina was critiquing her friend for attempting to pursue her despite being in a committed relationship: “I’m not gonna lie, it doesn’t seem fair. Does he even know?" However, it soon transformed into the beginning of an interesting confession from Kristina: “I keep you off limits while you’re still with him.” This verse definitely caught me so off guard that I had to restart the song to make sure I understood that correctly. The surprise doesn’t stop there though! Kristina continues and dives deeper into her suppressed emotions, stating that she's been, “Overthinking the most. About us, you and I. I can look but won't touch, just keep you on my mind. Every time that we talk I wanna hold you tight, but I keep it all inside.” Although the feeling is mutual, Kristina maintains respect for her friends' relationship, choosing to back off rather than jeopardize it. She tells herself that this friend is off limits and definitely out of reach, which makes this a forbidden crush situation. Other than the fun and shocking emotional rollercoaster I’ve just experienced, I also enjoyed how this song evokes the sensation of a journey with pretty melodies, a calm tempo and ambiance that creates an experience that's similar to being alone in your room, lost in the thoughts of thinking about someone you like while staring at the ceiling.
Kristina Rossi is a pop singer, songwriter, and producer. “Off Limits” is her second track, following her debut single, “Borderline,” which was released a month ago on February 23rd. “Off Limits” is entirely self-produced, which I absolutely love because it shows Kristina’s versatility as a singer, songwriter and producer. She built a studio in her bedroom and taught herself how to produce her own songs. In an Instagram post about the release, she shares the inspiration behind the song: “I heard Zara Larsson talking about how she and her boyfriend knew each other for a long time before they actually got together and how it was just never the right time until it finally was — I think some of us can relate and that gave me the initial idea for this song.” Kristina also has an EP releasing on May 24th titled, “Rings of Saturn,” in which both “Borderline” and “Off Limits” will be featured. Keep up with Kristina Rossi by clicking on her social media links below, and check out her newest single, “Off Limits,” out now!
Written By Sneet Efrem
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