Quite possibly, Eliza Shaddad put out THE definitive break-up album this year (okay, along with Ex:Re maybe) but with a fresh perspective. The British with Sudanese and Scottish roots wrote every piece on Future from the angle of the person leaving, instead of the one being left. And she does that in such an empathetic, relatable way, combined with sweet, dark tunes, that it’s quite hurtful sometimes (really, give that album a spin, it could easily have made it to our overlooked albums as well). To Make It Up To You is the album’s last track and the ultimate question you ask yourself at the end of a relationship: What can I do to make it up to you? Because love is not reality TV. In real life, there’s far less yelling, far less drama and much more slow, hurtful decay. To find the strength to walk away from a person you really care about often is the hardest because there’s always doubt involved. It’s hurting for every side. Shaddad‘s otherwise mostly dark and grungy folk is very reduced to its core in this song. It’s the silence of regret and guilt. But also the very honest hope for a better future.
