Cheryl is back…because she let herself be back, thank you very much.
After releasing “Love Made Me Do It” at the end of 2018, only to be met with a fuck-ton of backlash – about the song, her physical appearance, her hand-licking choreography, and just about everything in between – the 35-year-old (right up my) street-dancer, Messy Little Teardropper and one-fifth of the almighty, untouchable (REFERENCE) Girls Aloud made a triumphant return to form on Friday (May 31) with “Let You,” a danceable acknowledgement of an unhealthy power imbalance in a prior relationship, and a reclamation of control.
Given how the Internet treated her just a few short months ago, “Let You” doubles as an especially empowering moment for Chezza: if she felt down after skimming the comments even once on her own Instagram, it was because she let them get to her. No more of that. Which, well…relatable.
Produced by The Invisible Men – responsible for lots of killer tracks, but perhaps most importantly the Almighty Aloud’s “On The Metro” – and co-penned by Chiara Hunter and none other than Cheryl’s trusty Sister in Sound (of the Underground) and Bearer of Cinderella’s Eyes herself, Nicola Roberts, the effortlessly great track is a throbbing offering for the dance floor, supplying cool, old-school Chezza sass, mixed with nostalgic ’80s synths that allow for fierce footwork and ample hand and hair-flicking.
“I gave you what you wanted, when am I gonna get mine? / We only got like this ’cause I let you…”
The video provides us with a bit of narrative (relationship drama), “Call My Name”-style busting a move in bright colors, and some lewks to boot. I myself am partial to the Cock Destroyer Chezza street look, to no one’s surprise.
“Let You” is Cheryl’s most solid overall package – song, video, visuals and choreography – since the A Million Lights days, for sure. And, like “Fight For This Love,” the song feels applicable to Chezza’s much-publicized romantic life (it’s, dare I say, personal), setting it apart from a standard break-up bop.
“I loved this song from the moment we wrote it in the studio. I knew I had to release it! I’ve made mistakes in relationships. I’ve been with men who were controlling, who made me unhappy, but I allowed it to happen. That’s what this song is about. You have to recognise it, and you have to try and not let it happen again,” Chezza said of the song to Fault.
“I stopped reading about myself long ago because I’m not there to cater to ‘that’ world. For me being honest isn’t about discussing my day of waking up and playing with my son, it’s about sitting in a room with my closest girlfriends and sharing an experience that we can all relate to and I want to put that in my music – creating music that everyone can feel and relate to.”
As for the song’s success? Honestly, I have no idea where Cheryl stands in pop culture in 2019. I barely know what’s even considered pop in 2019. But the fact is that Cheryl’s been at this since Popstars: The Rivals, nearly two decades ago now. That she’s still going strong and serving up a quality release as a solo star is impressive enough in its own right to consider this one a win, regardless of charts and sales. (Well, solo for now…let those Aloud reunion rumors rumble. Keep the faith.)
Fight on, Chezza.
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“Let You” was released on May 31. (iTunes)
Photo credit: @CherylOfficial
