Can’t Let Go of Broken Promises

There is something intrinsically vulnerable about the human singing voice. Passion, sweetness, anger, and even sadness, all come through in subtle ways that human senses can just barely perceive. With this knowledge, maybe it should have been a red flag that the ex written about in Heather Edgley’s “Broken Promises” claims his dream was to sing, to be “up on stage singing like The King,” but never seems to let his voice be heard in that unguarded way. He talks though, quite adeptly too, saying that he cares, pledging to be there, and even using his words to make the song’s narrator feel seen.

“Broken Promises” is, without a doubt, a breakup song, and an angry one at that. The strong, clever lyrics recount intense emotional experiences with fervor and clarity. The song’s villain, deemed “an unsteady guy” in Edgley’s razor-sharp poniard of a second verse, has a gift for making commitments with little interest in keeping them.

Edgley’s chorus is great pop music: a beautiful, rhythmic, entrancing anagnorisis. Scales fall from the narrator’s eyes, true colors are revealed, and promises are discovered to have been lies all along. Further in, the bridge introduces another critical insight, as bridges ought to do:

I’ve been her before

I’ve been banging on your door

I am happier

But I can’t let it go

In this flash of recognition the narrator simultaneously experiences empathy for the unsteady guy’s next hapless lover, and gratitude that she’s begun to move forward, though the hurt and anger still remain.

“Broken Promises” is a devilishly catchy song. At 102 beats per minute, the accompaniment’s vintage, pop arpeggios give way to a vast space for the song’s sadness, and create lush harmony with the urgency demanded by the narrator’s anger. Edgley has done a wonderful job writing for her voice on this track. Spanning an octave plus a fourth (the interval) of her vocal range, she follows through with an excellent vocal performance full of passion, sweetness, anger, and sadness.

“Broken Promises” was released on April 11, 2025.