Ever since pop artists abandoned the Brill Building songwriting farms of the 60s for the singer-songwriter of the 70s, the most resonant music has been transparently autobiographical. It’s cathartic and raw for both the songwriter and the listener, as we fill in the blanks with meaning from our own experiences.

Toronto R&B/neo-soul artist Liza’s 2021 releases have been documenting the trajectory of a star-crossed affair, with the cautiously hopeful ‘Rolla’ pushing aside cynicism to embrace the thrill of new love, and ‘Done is Done’ elegantly accepting the ending. ‘Landsdowne’ soundtracks the more complex grief that comes from reflecting on the damage after the storm. Of all varieties of love songs, this is the one that hits where it hurts.

Working with Toronto producers Akeel Henry (Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign, dvsn) and Kofo (Wizkid, Kaash Paige), Liza strips away some of the cool sophistication of her last two singles for her most vulnerable track yet. The arrangement is simple: a sleek guitar and bass riff straight out of golden era R&B, minimal cross stick groove, and a muted harmonic vocal effect reminiscent of an ethereal, elevated talking box. It’s Liza’s voice that has the biggest impact here. While stronger in the verses where she dissects what was toxic, Liza spends the entire chorus in the top range of her voice, bringing out the soft texture and pushing it almost to a whisper. This choice feels incredibly intimate, and when set against the bare candor of her lyrics, heartbreaking. Leaving behind the silky backing vocals of ‘Rolla’ and ‘Done is Done’, ‘Landsdowne” exposes what even the most painful breakup songs often temper with layers of polish and production.

Building off of these three stunning singles and a string of accomplishments, including features on Michelle Obama’s playlist, fellow Toronto artist Daniel Caesar’s ‘CASE STUDY 001’, and a number of hit shows, Liza is poised to deliver incredible new work with her project, coming Spring 2021.