Holly Humberstone Shows Her Worth on Latest Single ‘Can You Afford To Lose Me?’
Best known for being recognised as a Brit ‘Rising Star’, 2022 has been quite the year for up-and-coming singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone.
On the 24th of October, Humberstone released a project of her most celebrated work over the past 2 years. It is said to be a reflection of her career so far. Along with stand-out tracks ‘Vanilla‘ and ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel,‘ Holly included a new single, ‘Can You Afford To Lose Me?’ The project as a whole celebrates the success and growth she has made with support and encouragement from the industry behind her.
The release of ‘Can You Afford To Lose Me?‘ and all it symbolises within her latest project, feels greatly poignant. As this chapter of her career ends, she now moves on, with her debut album expected to release next year. The wispy yet powerful and controlled vocals from Holly demonstrate the reason for high expectations.
The isolated piano and indie synth-pop style adopted on this track sound inspired by the singer-songwriters Lorde and Maggie Rogers. She is heavily influenced by strong female vocalists, which feeds into her powerful feminine energy as an artist today.
Speaking directly to the person who lost her, Holly bares all the personal, painful emotions she has felt. She reclaims herself and puts a mirror up to this person, hoping they’ll see where it all went wrong. This heartfelt breakup ballad is a prime example of the 22-year-old’s gift for songwriting. Through its passion and sincerity, we see the unwinding of this relationship from her perspective. Although it feels personal to the point of intrusion, it was necessary to share this story, and move forward.
I was your life support machine / Didn’t you realise it was always me? / I was always there to pick up the pieces (always me) / When you were a full-blown catastrophe, yeah.
Holly Humberstone-Can You Afford To Lose Me?
Alongside the release of the single, Humberstone shared a humble video for ‘Can You Afford To Lose Me?’
Shot in the style of a DIY camcorder video, the graphics see a collection of packages getting dropped off and picked up from a variety of houses, all starting with one being sent from Holly herself. The video was made as a way to promote her campaign Fifth Sister Swap. This is a clothes recycling initiative Holly started, to find new homes for her clothes and swap them for items others no longer want. This swapping system with her fans takes place at her gigs and various other events. It’s also an excellent way to connect with the community she has created, and champion an environmentally conscious consumption of clothing.
‘So I started a giant Fifth Sister Swap chain by giving away my favourite hoodie from the Falling Asleep At The Wheel music video. It started with my friend & filmmaker Claryn knocking on one of my fans doors, giving my parcel to them and in exchange picking up a parcel with their special pre-loved item inside. This was then passed on to a stranger and repeated throughout the day until the last parcel finally came back to my house in a full circle.’
Can You Afford To Lose Me? (Official Video) – YouTube
The video shows the beauty in parting with something that you no longer need, but can help someone else. It is thoughtful and encouraging to see her using her platform for such good.
Having previously toured with the likes of girl in red and Olivia Rodrigo, Humberstone is now embarking on her own headline UK tour this November.