Celebrate friendships that will last forever with Rachel Bochner in “pretty when u cry”

Love songs traditionally focus on romance, but not “pretty when u cry” by Rachel Bochner. The catchy pop tune is an ode to friendships five-ever.

Being there through thick and thin for your friends sometimes means prying. “What do you have your wall up for” Bochner sings. “Don’t tell me you’re fine.” Her voice carries over the sparse harmony and light rhythm, almost like she’s created a quiet place for her friends to open up when the world is closing in.

Every note feels like a promise: we’ll be vulnerable together so we’re both stronger. That comes through clearest when the beat gets stronger and steadier midway through the song. It builds to an anthemic moment before suddenly falling out and reviving the intimate moment—this isn’t a moment to shout but a moment to comfort.

As the third single from her upcoming EP, twenty something, “pretty when u cry” continues the album’s theme of championing Rachel Bochner’s woman-identifying collaborators. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly, it feels as much of a promise to stay by them as it does to friends in general.

Stream “pretty when u cry” below.

Ben McCoy

Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.