Hold Me Tight: A Song Six Years in the Making

This song is really special to me because it brings two different versions of myself together. The verses and pre-chorus were written six years ago – when I was heartbroken, still romanticising someone who didn't love me back. I was stuck in that heartbreak, unable to move on. The lyrics reflect that: "They say forget but I keep running back / No second thoughts to grace my heart…" I was pleading for love that was never going to come, trying to find freedom from it but unable to let go.

Fast forward to this past autumn – I’m at my piano, just messing around, and my tobacco pouch catches my eye. Out of nowhere, the chorus just came to me, fully formed: 

"Roll me up like a cigarette / Keep me warm with your breath / Hold me tight with your silhouette / Please just don’t let me slip away."

That moment changed everything. Suddenly, I had a chorus that pulled the song into a completely new space – more sensual, more confident, more self-aware. It's still rooted in longing, but it's not just sadness anymore. It's about the hunger for closeness, the need to be held and understood, to feel human connection. But also, there's this acknowledgment that I'm still searching – "Hold me tight with your silhouette" – I haven't met this person yet. I'm just singing to the idea of them. And I'm begging them not to let me slip back into that place of isolation.

Musically, Hold Me Tight is a pop-rock anthem. It's groovy, driving and confident, even though the lyrics are emotional and intimate. That contrast was intentional. I didn't want to drown in the sadness. I wanted to celebrate the fact that I've come out the other side. The girl who wrote those verses six years ago wouldn't believe she's performing on stage now. I'm finally reclaiming that heartbreak. And more importantly, I'm not waiting for someone to hold me anymore – I'm holding myself. My soul is reignited, not by a relationship, but by music.

The music video reflects all of this. I'm leaning into my indie sleaze / Tumblr era fantasy but with added emotional intensity. There's theatrical movement, expressive eye contact and raw physicality. I wanted to bring back the version of me who wanted to be a rockstar, and actually be her. And I think I've finally done that.

Liya Shapiro x