"Love Me & Let Me Go" is a song by Ashley Tisdale from her third studio album, Symptoms. It was released as the album's second and final single on January 25, 2019, through label Big Noise.[2][3]
Background and composition
Speaking about the meaning of the song in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tisdale stated:
"With ‘Love Me and Let Me Go,’ I remember just feeling really shut off, so I wrote those lyrics down in my notes app on my phone... I didn’t want to dwell on the feelings of anxiety and depression, so there wasn’t anything [in the album] that was too scary [to reveal]. I mean, the scariest part is talking about it right now."
Musically, "Love Me & Let Me Go" is a "moody" pop song[1] that contains "electro-kissed production", a "skittering beat", and a breakdown in the song's chorus.[5][1] Though the lyrics were interpreted as Tisdale demanding space from a past lover,[5] Tisdale later revealed the song to be about her struggles with anxiety.[1][3]
Critical reception
Mike Nied, writing for Idolator, praised the song's chorus and called the song "sleek and sassy".[5] Madeline Roth of MTV called the song "a much-welcome comeback from the singer-songwriter, who's giving fans a vulnerable side of herself they've never seen before."[3]
Music video
A music video was released to accompany the single on January 30, 2019.[6] Speaking about the video, Tisdale stated "the music video represents the feelings of being trapped and needing to let go".[1] Different stages of anxiety are symbolized in the video.[1] The video begins with the singer sitting alone in a blacked-out room.[3] As the video progresses, it becomes brighter, symbolizing the singer gaining control of her anxiety.[1][3] The final moments show the singer levitating above the ground, having broken free.[7]
