Single Review: Never Be by Tornsey

Review by Alicia Casey

Travel back in time to the days of milkshakes, thrifting, and long car rides with this powerful fall breakup anthem. 

A mix of alternative and experimental pop, “Never Be” reminds us that sometimes endings are the best beginnings, especially when it comes to tumultuous relationships with friends or lovers. Telling her side of the story, Tornsey uses punchy guitar riffs and powerful vocals to celebrate the freedom of setting boundaries and being liberated from the people who break our hearts over and over again. 

“We will never be, never be what we were before. It’s cool, but please don’t come knockin’ at my door,” she sings.

The cherry on top is the song’s brightness when handling such a difficult topic with brutal honesty. It’s reminiscent of a nostalgia-ridden 2000s film where the characters slowly grow apart and go their own ways. Embedded with self-reflective humor and uptempo chorus lines, Tornsey reimagines intense endings as celebrations and comes out stronger from the shambles they leave behind. 

Through a catchy song structure and passionate tone, she makes space for others to explore their own stories of toxic love and encourages them to stand up for what they deserve in a relationship. It’s a song for feeling big emotions, driving down the highway with the windows down, putting the volume on full blast, and letting out hard feelings toward the people we no longer recognize. 

Stream “Never Be” on Spotify and check out Tornsey on Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube.