When finding the person of your dreams slips through your fingers; a once deep-rooted head-over-heels infatuation turns swiftly to a bitter honest end. As singer-songwriter bree-on-uh calls it, it’s simply the cost of loving young.
A New York City-based dark pop artist, bree-on-uh has made a career of masterfully turning vulnerability into cinematic, emotionally-charged music. Bree-on-uh discovered her passion for music at a young age singing classical music. Since her first releases dating back to 2021, bree-on-uh has crafted a unique voice in music with a dedicated following. Blending dark aesthetics, emotionally charged performances, and genre-bending styles bree-on-uh continues to make an impact with every release.
On June 26, bree-on-uh released her debut album the cost of loving young, cutting deep by exploring themes of self-possession, desire, catharsis, intimacy, obsession and vulnerability. Created in collaboration with producers Steve Venti and CJ Arey, the cost of loving young spans over a two year creative-process of deep self reflection.
The album sends listeners on an emotional journey from start to finish, blending a variety of genres to create a dark and moody sound that also reflects visually through album artwork and music videos. Echoing vocals, crashing drums and melodic harmonies flow throughout the 11 tracks, creating a sound that is uniquely bree-on-uh. the cost of loving young begins in the glow of youthful infatuation, following the gradual unfolding of a relationship as red flags become impossible to ignore, until it ends with the bittersweet acceptance of its inevitable end.
Halfway through the album, “polite” symbolizes a turning point. The track captures the moment when the narrator decides enough is enough, rejecting a relationship built on empty promises and emotional manipulation. Lyrics like, “Right to the knife / I was never your girl,” and “I don’t take it light when you’re saying one day I’ll be your wife” expose the pain of being strung along, while “there’s other girls to play with outside” serves as a firm dismissal. Rather than continuing to tolerate mixed signals, the narrator reclaims her self-respect and sets a clear boundary, making the song a pivotal shift in the album’s emotional arc.
bree-on-uh began writing the cost of loving young during a relationship when she realized how unhappy she was, and finished it a few months after ending things. The album reflects this perfectly, as listeners can see the progression of her emotional growth and development throughout the weave of songs. One of the last tracks off the album, “no strings attached,” is the perfect way to tie all loose threads. The track symbolizes a resolution to the album’s emotional tension. Rather than ending in heartbreak, it serves as clarity, acknowledging the relationship for what it actually was. Unaligned expectations and mixed signals.
“If we said no rings / If we said no strings attached / Why are you calling me now stringing out on our couch?”
the cost of loving young stands on its own as a deeply emotional and self-reflective album that puts bree-on-uh on the map as an artist you will want to pay attention to.
Before the album’s release, Crave was able to catch up with bree-on-uh to discuss the cost of loving young, therapy within songwriting and her love of old music.
CRAVE: Do you have a favorite track off the album? Why? Is this the same track you’re most excited for audiences to hear, or do those differ?
BREE: “ur no angel” would definitely have to be my favorite track. It was always my favorite which is why I released it first. I feel like it truly encapsulates the vibe and energy of the album. As far as unreleased songs go, I can’t wait for people to hear “All For You.” I think the production in that song is so dynamic and full. It’s a very emotional track. The listeners will really feel that mix of anger, yearning and desperation from the lyrics and production.
CRAVE: What do you ultimately hope listeners take away from listening to the album?
BREE: I hope listeners feel like they’re on a journey listening to the album beginning to end. I am a very visual person so I hope they can see the story play out in their heads as they are listening to the record.
CRAVE: How would you characterize your discography as an artist? Conceptual, emotional, or aesthetic? Or is it a combination?
BREE: I would put my discography into a few different categories. Definitely cinematic, emotional, dark and dramatic. I like to be very experimental with my sound. I always want to create something new and different. I never want to feel bored with creating one specific genre so I like to take inspiration from all of my favorite genres. I’m someone who listens to all different kinds of music and I feel like that is something you can tell by listening to my whole discography.
CRAVE: Do you approach your music as the construction of a persona, as an extension or perhaps an exaggeration of your authentic self?
BREE: Bree-on-uh is an extension of myself. I feel like I am a pretty closed off person emotionally. Bree-on-uh is how I open up and become more vulnerable. In a way I can hide behind the music and the “persona” while still saying everything I want to say. I think a lot of the time when someone is listening to a song they’re more focused on the melody than the lyrics. In a way it feels like I can say what I want through my songs but no one is really listening to what I am actually saying. Sometimes that is less scary than just saying what I need to say in words. I’d rather sing it in song.
CRAVE: When writing the album, where did you pull inspiration from? Are the songs rooted in a singular experience, or do they reflect a broader range of moments and perspectives?
BREE: Most of these songs are rooted in a singular experience but a handful of them definitely stray away from that. I started writing a lot of these songs when I realized how unhappy I was in the relationship I was in at the time. I finished the album a few months after ending my relationship with that person. You can kind of hear that unfold if you really listen to the lyrics in these songs.
CRAVE: I think the track “no strings attached” is the perfect way to close out the album. It ties everything up super well and really paints a picture for listeners about what kind of relationship was had; was it intentional to have it close the album out?
BREE: Yes, very intentional!! Ironically enough it was one of, if not the first song I wrote for the album. It reminded me of something from a movie soundtrack, like I could see the end scene and credits rolling in my head while it played. I immediately knew it would be the perfect way to wrap up the album before even writing the rest.
CRAVE: How do you decide the order of the songs on the album? Is it an intentional narrative for listeners to follow?
BREE: It was very intentional. The story starts from those initial butterflies and excitement, to realizing issues that may be arising, until it all ends. I also wanted the album to flow well sonically. Making sure to keep the energy up for a few tracks then bring it down and back up again to really keep the listener on a journey of ups and downs.
CRAVE: Do you see song-writing as therapeutic? Or are there moments when revisiting certain themes risks intensifying unresolved emotions?
BREE: Absolutely! As I said earlier, I am not really an outwardly emotional person especially when it comes to being sad or vulnerable. Songwriting is my way of releasing that. Sometimes I need to sit in my sadness or anger about a situation for some time before I have the mental clarity to write about it. That is when I can really work through my emotions and really understand myself and what I’m feeling.
CRAVE: How do you utilize visual storytelling in creating an aesthetic and narrative for your music?
BREE: Visuals are one of my favorite parts of creating music. Being able to take a story you can hear and turn it into one that you can see is why I love making music videos so much. While I write I can visualize the story playing out in my head. Colors, characters, settings. I like to be very hands on and involved in the creative process when it comes to my music videos because I want it to do the story of the song justice.
CRAVE: What is something about you that listeners might not grasp from your music on first listen?
BREE: Maybe that I love older music. I feel like a lot of the time people assume I only listen to pop music because that’s what I make. Growing up I didn’t have musicians in my family but I always admired the way my dad loved music in itself. Even though he couldn’t play, he had so much respect for music in itself. I’m from Long Island so I of course grew up on a lot of Billy Joel. I remember when I was in middle school and my mom would drive me and my friends around, I always put in a Billy Joel CD. My friends thought I was so weird hahah. Some of my all time favorite musicians and bands that I grew up on were Sting, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Nirvana and so much more.
CRAVE: If you could describe your new album with a specific smell what would it be?
BREE: Definitely a musky perfume. My perfume while recording this album was Chanel Paris Coco Mademoiselle so I definitely correlate it with that scent. A very mature, moody scent.
bree-on-uh is set to perform these new tracks at her album release show in Brooklyn, New York, on July 11. Make sure to grab your tickets to the show soon.
Stream the cost of loving young and see bree-on-uh live in Brooklyn, New York on July 11 at Purgatory.
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