Halle steps into raw vulnerability with new single ‘Braveface’
Halle Bailey has just dropped her new single, “Braveface,” and it arrives unannounced - stripped-down, emotionally candid, and accompanied by a hauntingly intimate visual.
Over gentle acoustic guitar and minimalist production, Halle dives into her postpartum experience, self-image struggles, and the challenge of maintaining composure under pressure.
Honest and raw
From the opening lines, “Sittin’ on the floor, curled up in a ball. Lookin’ in the mirror and I feel so f**kin’ small,” she sets the tone.
The lyrics capture that internal tug-of-war: the urge to shut down colliding with the self-talk that keeps us going.
She encapsulates this in a pre-chorus confession - “I been so tired…I gotta do what the girls do best, cover up the pain” - before flipping the script in the chorus: “Tell myself, ‘You’re more than enough’. And f**k my flaws, no, I’ll be strong. That’s how I put my braveface on.”
It’s a powerful mantra of resilience framed through vulnerability.
Co-written with UK star RAYE, “Braveface” builds on the emotional palette of her February debut single “Back & Forth.”
Visuals and intentionality
The music video unfolds like observant snapshots of private moments. Halle sheds layers - literally and metaphorically - removing a gold fringe dress until she’s down to her underwear, a visual allegory for baring emotion.
These scenes play out alongside reflective tableaux: her staring into a mirror, moments of tears, a shared embrace with RAYE.
This collaboration feels purposeful. RAYE’s presence in the visual subtly underscores the narrative of shared sisterhood and healing.
It’s less cinematic spectacle, more documentary truth. By the end of the music video, her stripped silhouette is less fragile than resolute.
The timing
Timing adds weight. The song follows her public breakup with ex DDG and recent legal proceedings.
While “Braveface” doesn’t serve as an explicit response, its emotionally exposed nature speaks volumes.
It’s as if the track is both a raw self-reflection and a statement: “I’m more than what’s seen in the headlines.”
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