Frawley Shares the Lingering, Post-Breakup Pain That Inspired ‘If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry’
Raise your hand if you're here thanks to TikTok!
22-year-old singer-songwriter Frawley first shared a snippet of her newest single, "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry," on the platform at the end of March and got a huge reaction, with the clip garnering more than 2.6 million hits—and we have to say the full track is somehow even more brilliant and relatable. It's emotional yet upbeat, showing off precisely why she's one of the queens of Gen Z pop, and we were honored to get the chance to chat with Frawley and find out precisely what the song, and its lyrics, mean to her.
The Story Behind 'If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry'
Frawley: I wrote "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry" after a night out with my friends didn't go as planned. You know that feeling when you work so hard during the week and you hold onto your fun weekend plans just to get you through it? Yeah… I was having one of those weeks! I was between working long hours and having a stupid boy weighing on my heart so I needed a fun night out badly. I ended up at a bar and getting drinks with my friends. Everything was going great, or so I thought, until an hour into it, my friends started asking me about "him!" Of course, what was supposed to be a fun night turned into me trying to forget about him all over again! Not going to lie, sometimes it feels like I'll never stop trying to get over him. I know it's part of the healing process, but it's not fun! I'm all good now, though, and looking for the next boy to write songs about!
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What 'If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry' Means
Frawley: I wanted the verses to be a relatable narrative and the chorus to be an anthem for actually getting over someone. I think the song resonates with so many people because it's such a universal experience that tends to go unspoken! I wrote it about one specific night I had, but looking back on it now, I can count many times where my night was completely derailed by someone being brought up into conversation that I didn't want to think about! I hope listeners will be able to scream their hearts out on this one!
(Photo credit: Meredith Traux)
Frawley's Favorite Lyric
Frawley: "Made my way to the bathroom nonchalant, cuz I felt like tears were coming on… it's not what i planned for my big night out." I love this lyric because it captures the exact moment my mood did a 180—that ultimate letdown feeling!
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Frawley's Best Breakup Advice
Frawley: Don't let them ruin songs for you! This dude ruined too many songs for me! But in all seriousness, the best thing you can do is let yourself feel every emotion and figure out an outlet to help you make sense of whatever it is that you're feeling. For me, that's songwriting, but it can be anything from cooking to working out or even watching a reality TV show or your favorite comfort movie. Oh, and also, friendship breakups can sometimes hurt even worse, just saying in case it's not even an ex you're trying to get over! Stay strong, lovies!
("If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry")
Love Frawley? Click HERE to discover all of the reasons we made her our Woman Crush Wednesday.