Ari Abdul and Deadbeat Girl Release Sultry New Single “Make Me Cry”

By Justice Petersen

When done right, love is an all-consuming passion. Love makes you feel a variety of emotions all at once: desperation, passion, joy, sadness. When you’re in love, it seems like every emotion is amplified to the highest degree. This painfully enticing concept of love and desire is perfectly captured in the new single from Ari Abdul and Deadbeat Girl, “Make Me Cry”.

Released on August 4 and produced by Isaac Dunbar, “Make Me Cry” is a dark and poetic track from alt-pop artist Ari Abdul and indie-alt artist Deadbeat Girl (aka Val Olsen). Together, the two singer-songwriters have written a sensual and upbeat single that is addicting both in its composition and lyrics.

Best known for her edgy pop rager “BABYDOLL”, Ari Abdul has gained over 250 million streams across all platforms since making her debut in 2022. With her catchy beats, smokey vocals and carnal lyrics, Ari Abdul has and continues to pave her way as an alternative icon in the dark pop world.

Deadbeat Girl’s most recent single, “When You Went”, is a continuation of their beautifully heartbreaking and honest work. The 20-year-old musician released their debut EP, What Will It Take? back in March. Featuring songs about teenage angst and navigating love, What Will It Take? serves as an album for listeners to find peace, understanding and catharsis in. 

Writing softer pieces like “More” as well as alt-rock tracks like “Another Day”, Deadbeat Girl is a diverse artist, as they write unapologetic songs that are reminiscent of time capsules of moments in their lives. 

While Ari Abdul and Deadbeat Girl both possess their own unique styles and aesthetics when it comes to their music, what they have in common is the way they are both so painfully raw and honest in their lyrics. Through their vulnerability, they are able to captivate listeners. On their collaborative new single “Make Me Cry”, listeners are hooked on the vivid and passionate lyrics as well as the sensual dark pop beats. As they sing about lace, leather, and street lights, “Make Me Cry” is sexy as hell and will stay in your head for a long time after you listen to it.

The underlying themes of the track seem to be those of desperation or addiction to another person. The song opens with Lana Del Rey-esque synth sounds that are immediately followed by deep, pounding bass and sultry vocals from Ari Abdul, creating a sound similar to that of early Lady Gaga. Deadbeat Girl joins in the chorus, creating a harmonious balance of both deeper and softer vocals. The talent from both Ari Abdul and Deadbeat Girl creates a distinct vibe and passionate energy, like leather and lace, motorcycles and city streets, or cigarettes and smoke.

Essentially, “Make Me Cry” flawlessly captures the feeling of being so in love that it hurts. The obsession claws away at your heart as every waking thought is consumed by the one you love. These feelings are addicting and fiery, but sometimes they hurt so much that they make you cry.

This concept of getting hurt by love seems to give the track an underlying sense of something sinister or malicious. A relationship causing somebody to feel so overwhelmed isn’t always a healthy aspect, so what the message of this song ultimately is may be up to listeners’ interpretation.

“Make Me Cry” is a song about something feeling so good that it can break you. Through passionate lyrics like “Destroy Me / I like when I rot / So lonely / Leave scars on my heart / So holy / It was just a mirage,” Ari Abdul and Deadbeat Girl sing through the lens of someone who will stop at nothing to love and be loved.

In the lyric “But I want you, I can’t lie / I don’t like to waste time / If tomorrow I die”, there is a sense of urgency and desperation, as perhaps this love is so all-consuming that the narrator feels as though actions must be taken before it is too late.

When love is real, you find it hard to leave. And when you listen to “Make Me Cry”, you’ll find it hard not to put it on repeat.

“Make Me Cry”, the new single from Ari Abdul feat. Deadbeat Girl is out now. ♦