In “BLEED,” The Kid LAROI questions how an ex-lover was able to move on so quickly from their relationship while he’s still stuck in a loop. Per the press release for the song, it will be the third and final single from the second phase of his album, THE FIRST TIME, rollout. In 2022, LAROI teased fans about the existence of the song by sharing, “I have a song called ‘BLEED’ and it may be my favorite song I’ve ever made.” However, it took a year for fans to hear a snippet from the project when he shared a clip via TikTok five days before its release.
The last three singles from THE FIRST TIME share an overarching theme of love and betrayal. In “Too Much,” which he performed with BTS’ Jung Kook and British rapper Central Cee, he sings about being in love with a girl who suspects him of cheating. In “What Just Happened,” he actually sings of cheating on his girl with her friend but blames the drugs. And while “BLEED” isn’t singing about betrayal in terms of cheating, it keeps to this theme when he sings, “You abandoned me here / Lost up in my head again, I’m caught inside myself / You promised that it wouldn’t end.”
I would describe “BLEED” as sort of like Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” but with way less anxiety and a bit more sincerity. “How did your heart mend so easy?” he asks in the song’s chorus, adding that “Mine still bleeds.” When he sings about his ex’s mother consoling him and telling him that her daughter owns him nothing is when I know that people will deeply relate to this song. Because yeah, as painful as it actually is, no one owes you their love.
The Ramez Silyan-directed music video sees LAROI on the run from masked people. At one point, he’s shown putting on the mask as well, before the gang decides to turn on each other. Towards the end, one of the masked people finds LAROI lying in a ditch and approaches him. When the person takes off their mask, it’s revealed to be a girl.
Apart from Jung Kook and Central Cee, other features on the album include Future, Baby Drill, D4VD, and Youngboy Never Broke Again. The 20-track album will be dropping on November 10, and will include hits like “Where Does Your Spirit Go?”
As for the album, LAROI revealed that he made it to connect with his fans: “I started making music because I love it and I still make music because I love seeing how it connects with you guys. THAT is what it’s about. Nothing else. I hope that you guys can feel comfort in knowing that I’m broken just the same as you are. We all are. And that’s okay.”