By Michael Guarino

Just a handful of years into her musical career, Amy Allen has made a name for herself as a writer behind some of today’s biggest hits. Featured on the 2020 Forbes “30 Under 30” in Music alongside names such as Lauv, Megan Thee Stallion, and Tyler the Creator, she helped author “Adore You” for Harry Styles and “Graveyard” and “Without Me” for Halsey. Allen’s July 1 release with Warner Records, the sincere ballad “Queen of Silver Linings,” is reminiscent of Brandi Carlile’s “Whatever You Do” and Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons.” It marks not a new chapter in her career, but rather, the beginning of an entirely new story: “her own story.”

“Queen of Silver Linings” certainly reads like a story, or at least like a free-flowing dramatic monologue from the title character. This is no ordinarily lavish fairy tale, however; it’s broken down into its bare bones, as reflected in its simple instrumentation, featuring just a piano and acoustic guitars. Allen laments the shortcomings of her partner, the “King of Good Intentions,” who inadvertently but consistently disappoints her, leading her to bear the burden of salvaging their relationship. The song becomes an active agent in the process of rewriting their relationship history and repressing the Queen’s negative memories: “I’ll write a happy ending, leave out the parts worth forgetting when it hurts like hell.” On a more fundamental level, the Queen reinterprets reality entirely, singing of the King that she’ll “see you in the light I wish to” and “find a way to make it my bad (never mind you going behind my back).” The pain and tiredness in her voice are visceral, demonstrated through Allen’s indie inflections.

Initially, the heartbreaking scene that the Queen has set up appears to border on gaslighting. The most tense part of the song comes in the chorus, when an unsettling chord structure underscores the Queen’s chilling visions of all the ways her King might let her down in the future (“No matter what you do, no matter what you say”). But the King’s essentially good heart provides the resolution that redeems his character, with the Queen promising, “I’ll always find a way to love you.” The perfect cadence that accompanies this relieving lyric is all too familiar: the lyrical narrative of a disheartening, one-sided relationship is as storied as the common musical elements used to tell that narrative. But it’s ultimately empowering for Allen to hold on to the relationship she has invested so much in: as she’s remarked, “I believe there’s quite a power in having the guts to shamelessly fight for something you wholeheartedly believe in.” Her ability to see the good in others elevates her to the status of a “queen,” and should she continue to release such emotionally honest, self-reflexive work, she’ll elevate her artistry in much the same way.