While few people willingly sign up for long-distance relationships, sometimes occupations and other circumstances force lovers into arrangements they didn’t choose. Whether one resolves to revel in the little time found to spend together or relocate completely, the decision is never easy. Singer-songwriter Phabo teams up with Nigerian-born, UK-based songstress Shaé Universe to unpack the difficulty lovers face when there’s an entire ocean between them on their duet “Out Of Touch.”
There are tones of both promise and pain as they each share the current state of the relationship from their perspective. Over the somewhat melancholy Malik Ninety-Nine-produced track Shaé sings, “Can’t feel you, I’m out of touch / I hate thinkin’ way too much / Still learnin’ to trust my gut / This distance is making it rough / Too many lonely nights / When you gon’ book a flight to London?” on the chorus. At one point, Phabo responds to her query, assuring her, “I'm bout to book my flight to London.”
Phabo seemingly draws from his own experiences for the inspiration behind this latest offering. "As an artist, we coexist with an ongoing stigma that we’re unable to walk a faithful line when it comes to long-distance relationships,” he states in a press release. “Oftentimes we stumble upon love in new cities and countries which leaves us chasing a moment or a specific emotion. A feeling that easily flees with surmounting schedule demands and a budding career.”
Though the topic itself is relatable to most, everyone handles it all differently. His soulful collaboration with Shaé offers balance and he says, “I feel like this song fairly allows space for both Shaé and I to detail what that experience can be like."
Long distance is the wrong distance for most, but listen to Phabo and Shaé Universe try to make it work across the miles (and a whole ocean) on “Out of Touch.” Check out the track and its lyric video starring both singers below, and add the duet to your playlists from your preferred digital platform. Keep an eye out for Phabo’s forthcoming full-length album, which is set to drop later this year.
