‘It Will Only Hurt Once’ begins in a state of pressure and seems determined to keep tightening the grip. The third single from Conchis’ forthcoming album Gravity finds the Finnish artist building a dense electronic backdrop around one of the most difficult moments in a failing relationship: recognising that walking away will hurt, but remaining where you are may ultimately cause far greater damage.
A restless bassline pushes constantly underneath heavy percussion, shadowy synths and splintered electronic details. The arrangement feels deliberately uneasy, with sounds rubbing against one another rather than settling comfortably into place. Yet she still leaves enough melodic space for her voice to emerge above that tension, eventually opening into a larger, more cathartic vocal release.
But what makes the song even more remarkable is the context surrounding Gravity. During a severe ME/CFS crash, Conchis was unable to physically make music or even listen to it. Instead, she developed the album internally, constructing its melodies, rhythms, lyrics and production ideas in her imagination until she was eventually able to bring them into the physical world.
It’s an origin that gives ‘It Will Only Hurt Once’ an unusual intensity. The track isn’t searching for easy catharsis or choosing to romanticise the end of a relationship. It sits instead with the exhausting process of reaching a decision you already know is necessary.
Following the psychological exploration of debut album Chapters, this new material suggests an artist becoming even more confident in turning internal experience into distinctive musical architecture.
Brooding, detailed and emotionally direct, ‘It Will Only Hurt Once’ transforms the fear of an ending into something unexpectedly powerful. Conchis understands that leaving may cause the first wound, but sometimes it’s also the only way healing can begin.