There’s a powerful earnesty that resides in Jordan Duffy’s 4 octave voice, one that’s raw and aching as she expresses her desires for a modern-day rom-com on “Stay With Me.” You hear her romantic dreams through whispers, like the late-night bedroom conversation the song takes place in, a nervous yet passionate need to know someone past a one night stand. Over a mellow acoustic guitar riff that slowly spirals into a sea of soft, glistening synths, Duffy’s wavering vocals speak for the ache for emotional intimacy felt by a generation. 

“Stay With Me” is a cool-toned electronic ballad, but Duffy’s soft singing gives it the bit of warmth that she is searching for in this love affair. “I want to explore you better / Like you’re a new world in my hands,” she croons, wanting so badly to open herself up to this lover—but finds herself plagued by doubts and hesitance. The track feels like a heartfelt journal entry, Duffy leaving no fears, anxieties and daydreams untouched. On “Stay With Me,” you are right there on the pages with her, feeling everything just as strong.

After wrestling with the thought to ask this lover to be with her past the night, Duffy eventually holds back. “I could, but I should not,” she whispers solemnly as gentle strums of the acoustic guitar close her out. Duffy does an excellent job of painting the picture of how sticky hookup culture can become, when societal norms cloud what should be an authentic human desire for love. At the end of it all, even Duffy stops herself from breaking the barrier between a fling and true romance, but “Stay With Me” shows that she wears her passion on her sleeve, and is a beautiful representation of what it should be like to let these beliefs flow free. 

Listen to Jordan Duffy's single "Stay With Me" below: