Lean Into the Hurt: Charlotte Day Wilson & Saya Gray’s Love Spiral
Have you ever had a love so intoxicating that you couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or a ticking time bomb? This is how Lean by Charlotte Day Wilson and Saya Gray makes me feel.
From the dark and slow production to the eerie and gorgeous vocals, Charlotte starts the song off by confessing she can’t “stand being in love.” She’s addicted, obsessed, and it’s feeling like her situationship is turning into a toxic romance. “I’m too undone by your love and I can’t get enough” hits deep, as the feeling she gets is pulling her in, but her head is telling her she needs to run. The push and pull of the lyrics fascinate me, as it reminds me of my own past experiences. I’m sure many could also relate. Knowing someone can’t give you the love you need, but you stay. Maybe it’s out of comfort, or maybe we just don’t know what we deserve yet. The battle between your head and heart is never easy, and Charlotte reminds us of this in the first two verses.
As we hit the third verse, Saya Gray gives us the other perspective of this relationship. She wants the “heat” that Charlotte’s giving but “can’t breathe” from her “lean,” suggesting that she wants the intimacy without the feeling of being clingy, or maybe the emotions tied to it. She is yearning for that love, though, and maybe there’s a theme of avoidance here. Saya doesn’t want to come to terms with the fact that she can’t deal with the emotions, and Charlotte knows she deserves better and can’t say no. Charlotte and Saya’s sultry and hypnotic voices really carry this track and just make me want to close my eyes and float to it.
The dark lead is what really drew me in at first listen, along with the small tweaks in the drums throughout. From the first verse to the second, the snare changes from airy to punchy to show slow progressions, and then, of course, the full vibe change in the third verse to a UKG drum pattern. Switching the drums throughout was really cool because it gives the audience a deeper look into each artist’s POV. I also loved how they use almost futuristic FX within the vocals and production to make this different from your usual R&B track.
Charlotte and Saya leave you wondering where this relationship stands. The battle between their vocals at the end gives us a look into what they’re thinking and how this relationship will move forward. Charlotte’s still holding onto hope, and Saya needs her. They let us wonder: should they break up and end the pain for them both, or maybe they’ve already broken up and this is the result of that.
Written by Briana Serpone | January 26 2026
