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EAT IN SILENCE by Bree Runway
New Songs You Might've Missed
CD Radio
September 15, 2025
I said a prayer today/I can only hope I said it right/It's a lot on my plate/but I'll just eat in silence
Bree Runway has faced a lot of barriers in her career this decade. Check out this British Vogue piece to learn more. But prior to these label troubles, she came in pretty hot:
“…when Bree had first joined the label, she’d given a presentation to a full audience of label heads and presidents. Entering to dimmed lights and a champion’s soundtrack, with “stripper heels” and rainbow hair. “I get my stick out, and I slap it against the wall,” she laughs. “Everyone’s like, ‘oh my God, who is this? We just signed her.’”
They fell in love with her, and then came an incredibly successful period Bree descrives “the golden era.” But after EMI laid off the A&R who signed her, things took a turn. Sloppy marketing, forced cookie-cutter collabs, dried up marketing budgets, and nothing but vague directives to “make a hit” became par for the course.
“They don’t have a clue what a hit looks like. Tik Tok pings off and a song blows up: ‘Yeah, yeah, we knew that was going to be a hit.’ No, you didn’t. No one knows what a hit looks like these days. But one thing I do know from my gut is that what a hit looks like for me is not what it’s going to look like for Dua Lipa… My contribution to music has always been left-of-field.”
All of the reasons she was signed—her daring creativity, supreme artistry, and extraterrestrial talent—went out of the window alongside the team who supported her. Like many of the acts on major label rosters, she became defined by whether or not she had a viral Tik Tok song. In response to total misalignment, she exited her contract. As a result, she lost years of her career, unable to capitalize on well-earned momentum gained from releases like “HOT HOT” and “Pressure”, and og fan favorites like “All Night.” But she’s back, independent and better than ever. And that’s what we’re really here to talk about!
“EAT IN SILENCE” is Bree’s latest comeback single. And baby, this song is magnificent. It’s a complete departure from the sounds that defined Bree up to this point, further demonstrating her Beyoncé, Janet, Madonna, Prince-level dynamism. She can truly do anything, and for someone as endlessly talented as Bree, I know it’s immensely frustrating to have your career stalled for reasons out of your control. “EAT IN SILENCE” feels like a response to that reality.
The song opens with a chills-worthy lyrical delivery: “I said a prayer today/I can only hope I said it right/It’s a lot on my plate/But I’ll just eat in silence.” Phew. The power, clarity and emotion in her voice help every word penetrate the mind. I’m obsessed with this “eating in silence” idiom and relate so deeply—screaming into the void and wondering why you’re stuck in a rut, beginning to resent your own brilliance and talent because you can’t get the folks who hold the keys to see it. On the flip side, it’s a declaration to continue honing your craft whether folks can see you, hear you, validate you or not. They will eventually. Just keep eating, even if it’s in silence.
Halfway through, Bree trades measured, contemplative lament for unconstrained wails, capturing the numbness that comes with endless nos and closed doors. The climax on “till I feel/till I feel” is so powerful—she’s rightfully unleashing her rageful and helpless confusion and you feel it slowly build with every section up to that point. The production, while simple, tracks the same powerful build with such intensity. The lull after the volume peaks is what I imagine jumping out of a plane might feel like, the moment you start slowing down as you approach the ground after opening your parachute. It’s hard to even imagine her continuing to carry any of those emotions after this performance— she left it all in the music, raw and fortified. I knew Bree could sing, but I have to say this track whacked me over the head. If this is your introduction to Bree Runway, play the following in succession: “All Night” —> “HOT HOT” —> “EAT IN SILENCE” —> “What Do I Tell My Friends?” —> “Pressure” and prepare to be gagged. Bree is the full package—dancer, singer, rapper extraordinaire with versatility for days. I don’t know how else to say it: she is destined for global stardom and with every single track, she solidifies it further.
To close “EAT IN SILENCE,” Bree repeats a statement ten times, to the point where it feels more like a plea: “No it don't make sense no it/It don't make sense anymore/No it don't make sense/No it don't make sense anymore.” It’s a plea that feels familiar to me. When things aren’t going your way, when it feels like the entire world is at odds with you and your survival, your dreams. It’s also how I feel about the treatment of Bree’s career by The Gatekeepers™ and I imagine how she felt while writing this one (with Khalid!) But we hear her. I hear her. While this song might express deep vulnerability and insecurity from the artist, it only serves as another bullet point on the laundry-list of reasons why Bree Runway will undoubtedly reap all of the benefits of her immense generational talent, one day. She just has to keep going.
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