Earlier this year, Ashanti celebrated the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album. A bonafide classic, the project was led by the hit single "Foolish," which found the young songstress stuck in a toxic relationship's revolving door. A lot has changed in 20 years, though, and 42-year-old Ashanti doesn't suffer fools and puts an unfaithful lover on notice on her latest single “Falling For You,” co-written and produced by BLEU.
Don’t let the title of the track confuse you; Ashanti is over her man's lies and deceit. The love was there, but now it’s gone. He can go find himself, sow his wild oats or whatever cheaters do, she’s out. “I can't do nothing but be real with you / I just don't feel the same, so over you / No more falling for you (For you) / I'm so over falling for you (For you),” she sings on the chorus, leaving no room for doubt.
In case he's still confused, however, she keeps breaking it down in the second verse. “No more falling for your games / I know you ain't gon' change / I ain't tryna let my guard down / You gotta know I'm still in pain / And it's driving me insane / I can't have you how I want / How did it get this bad, from making me laugh / To making me sad?” she sings. This break might hurt, but she is putting herself first.
“Falling For You” is the first new solo music from the sultry singer since she dropped “235 (2:35 I Want You)” back in January 2021. If it feels like the song is art imitating life, that’s because it is. Ashanti recently shared in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight the inspiration for the new single.
“The song just represents being in a place where you’re just tired of dealing with the BS, and it’s just heartfelt, you know I was going through things and I feel like sometimes it’s so great to artistically express yourself,” she told ET's Nischelle Turner.
Ashanti accompanied the song's release with an oh-so-sexy video directed by Jet Phynx who gives the sensitive subject a theatric treatment. The clandestine opening with heavy religious overtones shows a low-key Ashanti wearing a scarf and shades riding up to a tarot card reader. As the woman lays out the cards, we see the short-lived love story unfold.
The Lovers card shows Ashanti and her beau meeting and falling for one another with the attending intimacy. The Fool card falls as she begins to question his fidelity when lonely nights turn to finding photos of him cuddling the baby bump of another woman. The last and final card, Justice, is kindling for the fire that burns it all down as Ashanti sits on a couch surrounded by flames. The final scene makes it clear that she has resolved to let it go as we see her back in the vehicle and the darkly-tinted window closes. We are in full agreement on this one: Let it burn, sis.
Ashanti is indeed a phoenix rising from the ashes. She's greater than her haters, and those who can't seem to keep her name out of their mouths (we're looking at you, Irv Gotti) can keep flapping their gums. This unbothered, unproblematic and unrelenting queen is ready for the next chapter of her career, and with the prospect of more new music on the horizon, so are we.
- Advertisement -Listen to Ashanti's latest single and watch the video below. "Falling For You" is currently available from a number of digital music services.
