Track of the Day: NIYL, ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down’

On his latest single, ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down,’ Limerick-born artist NIYL reinvents the torch singer for the alt-soul audience. The offering marks the second release from his upcoming album Parish Is Burning, which lands in November.

A silver-tongued anthem, ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down’ leads with NIYL’s powerhouse vocals on full show as electronic beats and R&B soundscapes transport the track into a modern context.

“I wanted to write a song that nods to my soul influences while also carving my own signature sound in the Irish music space,” NIYL says of the track. “I am awful for choosing to ignore red flags when it comes to wanting to be with someone, so I wrote this in the hopes that I would cop on a small bit… but alas, it didn’t work!

“Musically, I wanted the song to pack a punch, be fun but still tell a vulnerable story which the lyrics convey,” he concludes.

With Sam Smith-esque vocals and a soulful groove, ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down’ is a torch song of red-flag avoidance and the blissful ignorance some experience while being in love.

NIYL hopes to shed light on growing up queer in rural Ireland with his modern R&B sound and ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down’ is no exception to this ambition.