Yearning, teenage heartbreak, grief. Simple words to describe one of 2025’s breakout artists of the year, Sombr, and his debut album, “I Barely Know Her.” In defining his success, he has followed the 2024 breakout star Chappell Roan’s success, with one singular song blowing up on TikTok launching him into an insane stardom. To the point of his upcoming international tour “The Late Nights and Young Romance,” which had upgraded all venues and completely sold out within hours of launching new ticket sales.
Following a rather controversial article released by youth culture magazine I-D, where it was controversially detailing that he was reviving rock music as a genre, the album itself features the popular songs “back to friends,” “undressed” and “12 to 12,” while also containing an additional seven songs.
The lineup begins with the song titled “crushing” a mid-paced, pop-punk-esque song detailing how one can be heavily in love with someone, and wanting to be in the public eye, yet the other person is hesitant to be in the public eye.
With chorus lyrics, “I miss the days when we were crushing on each other / now you’re just crushing my soul, my lover” furthering the idea that the peaceful honeymoon stage of the relationship is falling apart from a once joyful relationship. Developing the album’s theme around wanting to be loved deeply by someone, however, the secondary party wants to remain secretive and indirectly destructive to their relationship.
The album’s songs build on the idea of yearning for someone, and the imminent jealousy that stems from seeing them move on with someone else when they had always imagined being with that person.
Introductory songs on the album such as “crushing,” “12 to 12” and “i wish i knew how to quit you” build on lyrics like going back to when the two people in the narrative first met, in the innocence stage. Which leads to the album going through all stages of the relationship.
The most noticeable change in the relationship appears during track five, “canal street,” where Sombr writes, “I tried to go on dates / but none of them are you,” while asking questions regarding how the person is doing after the relationship. And again, the bridge takes focus on his own doubts about being the right person in the relationship, and whether he was what the person wanted. “Canal street” also takes a difference on the instrumental, taking on tones of a stronger emotional ballad, clearly highlighting that the song comes from a lower point in his life.
Ironically, the following songs, “dime” and “undressed,” discuss how he wants to get it through to her about wanting to get back together and he can’t get her out of his head. Though it appears he still does not make it back to her until the eighth track of the album.
“Come closer,” which is definitely a raunchy song, where he describes the physicality aspect of their relationship. Citing that he has, “learned to love the way you taste,” and simply can not move on without her.
The instrumental again takes a variance in playing, portraying an almost lustful feeling guitar, and for reference, it is the type of song you would hear in a rom-com movie or TVshow, when the two romantic leads have finally given in to their feelings. Yet, as the songs transition, listeners are led to believe that somewhere along the lines the relationship has again soured.
Track nine is the hit song, “we never dated,” which discusses the topics about being led astray in the relationship (whether it is the same relationship or a newer relationship is up for debate), and wondering why they never dated, especially given their undeniable bond and chemistry.
The chorus builds on that idea with lyrics like, “I can’t make you love me,” “why do you always leave me aching when you were never mine for the taking” and the repetitive, “I can’t make you love me, no babe, I can’t make you love me.” Which leads fans to believe that this relationship is nearing the penultimate stages, where he’s moving on.
Though the bridge falls back into the earlier movements of second guessing every movement, fostering the angst and questioning about being good enough.
Track 10, the conclusive, “under the mat,” which reaches that expected resolve. With chords and instrumentals that sound eerily similar to what one may find at the end of a previously mentioned rom-coms, when they’re finally happy with themselves and the relationships.
Or when the superheroes in the movie have beat the villain and are coming home to their love. It feels like a song that would be played sometime during the final episode of Amazon Prime’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” The lyrics of the chorus are quite poetic, “I saw her at her worst, still I desired her / I learned to read her eyes and know when she would lie,” hinting that he has come to terms with loving her no matter what.
While the song feels like he’s thinking about a falsified future of what the relationship could have been, the Sombr that is depicted in the song seems entirely more confident in who he is as a person and his own mental health has highly increased.
However, the bridge, which at this point has become clear that it is his own self-doubt, takes the road of considering all negatives in the outcome. Sombr also describes how he sees that the person in the narrative lays out their key for his use, he doesn’t use it, again showing signs that he’s not stuck in what was a toxic and emotionally endearing relationship.
Instrumentally, the song is beautiful. It features an attention-grabbing chord occasionally, representing how there are still some questionable aspects about their relationship, and the possibility of something coming back. His vocals at the end, doing a descending scale before resolving to what many music theory fans call a “victory chord resolve,” giving that satisfying final ending.
Ending the album on a positive note, and lets listeners feel incredibly pleased with the song. The last song feels uplifting, and is definitely a strong contrast to the beginning of the album.
