With her latest release, “Ugly When You Love Me,” Exzenya once again proves her ability to merge raw emotion with meticulous production. Known for crafting dark, cinematic soundscapes that pulse with psychological depth, Exzenya channels her background in psychology and communications into a sound that feels as analytical as it is affective. The result is a dark wave and alternative rock hybrid that strips love down to its unsettling core — a dissection of vulnerability rendered through synths, rhythm, and restrained vocal power.
The track opens with a low, almost mechanical pulse — a rhythm that feels like a heartbeat submerged underwater. This percussive undercurrent sets the tone for what follows: a careful interplay between control and collapse. The rhythm section doesn’t seek to dominate; instead, it maintains a steady, hypnotic flow that mirrors the cyclical tension of obsession and self-awareness. There’s a minimalism to its structure that allows each sound to breathe, every beat calibrated with cinematic precision.
As the track evolves, the synth layers begin to bloom, carrying both warmth and corrosion. Exzenya’s production approach is tactile — the synths don’t just create atmosphere; they speak. They pulse, sigh, and shimmer in controlled dissonance, reflecting the lyrical theme of love’s duality: beauty and ugliness coexisting in fragile equilibrium. The use of distortion and modulation adds a sense of emotional decay, as if each sound were eroding under the weight of its own honesty. The overall effect is immersive and unsettling, pulling the listener into a sonic world that feels at once digital and deeply human.
Vocally, Exzenya commands the track with a blend of vulnerability and precision. Her delivery is smooth but charged, every word landing with the weight of both confession and confrontation. She doesn’t perform emotion — she curates it, sculpting it into something deliberate and visceral. The contrast between her controlled tone and the emotional volatility of the lyrics mirrors the song’s central idea: that love, when stripped of illusion, can reveal something raw, even ugly, beneath its surface.
What makes “Ugly When You Love Me” so compelling is its balance between intellect and instinct. The song is as much a psychological study as it is a musical experience. It reflects Exzenya’s interdisciplinary roots — her academic understanding of human behavior merging seamlessly with her instinctive sense of sonic storytelling. Every synth swell, every rhythmic pause, every vocal inflection seems guided by an internal logic that gives the track both narrative and emotional coherence.
Atmospherically, the piece sits in the liminal space between dream and nightmare. There’s a cinematic quality to the arrangement — it feels like the soundtrack to an introspective film, unfolding frame by frame in the mind’s eye. The mix is spacious yet intimate, with the reverb and layering used not to obscure but to amplify the emotional tension. It’s this sense of spatial awareness that makes Exzenya’s work distinctive: her sound design invites the listener not just to hear the song, but to inhabit it.
Beyond its sonic craft, “Ugly When You Love Me” also marks a significant point in Exzenya’s artistic trajectory. Following the success of her earlier single “Drunk Texting,” which quickly gained traction across streaming platforms, this release consolidates her identity as an independent artist capable of marrying authenticity with sophistication. Distributed through her own label, Exzenya Productions, the track reinforces her commitment to creative autonomy and conceptual integrity.
What lingers after listening is not simply the song’s melodic hook or lyrical poignancy, but its texture — the way it feels. The track leaves a residue of introspection, a recognition that beauty often hides within discomfort. It’s an experience that stays with the listener, echoing long after the final note fades.
With “Ugly When You Love Me,” Exzenya offers more than just a song — she delivers an experience that challenges and seduces in equal measure. It’s an elegant and corrosive meditation on love’s contradictions, executed with honesty and precision. A high-quality release that we are proud to host on our webzine — proof that Exzenya’s sonic world continues to expand, evolving into something ever more complex, cinematic, and human.