Alt-pop singer-songwriter Ariyel has returned with her stunning new single ‘sister sister’. and it feels nothing short of luminous. As the second glimpse into her forthcoming concept album, following ‘how to be loved’, this track deepens the emotional thread she’s been weaving: an honest, intimate exploration of living with CPTSD.
On ‘sister sister’, Ariyel teams up once again with Oregon-based singer-songwriter Emily Sangder, with whom she last collaborated on 2021’s tender ballad ‘grow together’. This time, the partnership blooms into something even more expansive, a shimmering, slow-burning dream pop anthem that meditates on the profound, often unspoken closeness between women who carry shared histories of trauma. It is not a song of despair, but rather a song of recognition, one that honours the quiet resilience forged in companionship and solidarity.
From the first notes, the track unfolds like a soft exhale, with delicate synth textures and gauzy guitar lines floating beneath Ariyel’s crystalline vocal delivery. The production, helmed by august mez, is warm and spacious, allowing the song to breathe with both fragility and strength. Ariyel’s voice intertwines with Sangder’s in ethereal harmony, two distinct tones that melt into one another until they feel inseparable, echoing the very bond the song celebrates.
What makes ‘sister sister’ so affecting is its emotional candour. Rather than romanticising pain, Ariyel and Sangder trace its contours with compassion, highlighting the beauty in being truly seen by another. Lyrics unfurl with both tenderness and quiet urgency, as if whispered secrets between kindred spirits. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to close your eyes, press your forehead against someone you love, and simply breathe together.
In an era where much of pop is built for instant gratification, ‘sister sister’ rewards patience; it glimmers gradually, a slow-burning flame that lingers long after it fades. It’s an anthem for survivors, for sisters in blood or chosen family, for anyone who has ever felt the profound relief of not being alone in their hurt.
If ‘how to be loved’ introduced us to the vulnerability of Ariyel’s upcoming album, then ‘sister sister’ confirms its promise: a body of work that refuses to shy away from pain, yet insists on transforming it into something radiant. With this release, Ariyel cements herself as a songwriter who doesn’t just tell stories; she builds sanctuaries out of them.