by martina rexrode
photo by saskia kovandzich
Vulnerability is one of the bravest emotions an artist can show. Whether it be through music, dance, visual art, or other mediums, onlookers are often able to sink their teeth more into art that reveals something about the artist and, ultimately, themselves. On ARI LEE’s latest single “Someone For You,” the artist bares her soul to listeners after two previous singles that leaned more into the juxtaposition of brighter sounds expressing pain. This time around, there’s no sugar coating. ARI LEE spoke to Unclear about this single, how it ties into her Trophy Wife In Training EP, and her biggest goals for the year.
Congratulations on your new single, “Someone For You!” How does it feel to have this song out in the world?
ARI LEE: “Thank you! Honestly, it feels quite scary because this is definitely a more vulnerable part of my artist project.”
What does this song mean to you? Are there any specific images it evokes when you think of it?
ARI LEE: “This song is quite complex because it’s about family. The images that really stuck out to me when writing this song were family portraits — you see them throughout history of different families and in people’s houses. When I see family portraits, I always wonder what each person in the photo’s story is, what was happening in that very moment, what the dynamics are, who’s the black sheep, etc.”
How do you think listeners might interpret the lyrics of “Someone For You” to fit their own experiences?
ARI LEE: “While I wrote this from a place of wanting my family’s validation, the lyrics don’t make it too obvious at the outset that that’s what it’s about. Most people I’ve played it for think that I'm talking about a romantic relationship. But that’s the beauty of art and how it can mean different things depending on one’s own experience.”
Do you have a favorite set of lyrics from this song? Why do they speak to you?
ARI LEE: “‘If I climbed all of your mountains would you change your mind’ in the first verse. To me it’s a simple lyric that I’ve always thought about. What would it take to prove yourself to someone? What’s the bar and why am I so desperate to reach it?”
What made you decide to release “Cruel Lover,” “The Kissing Girl,” and “Someone For You” in this order?
ARI LEE: “The throughline of all of these singles is that they’re my realization that a lot of the negative feelings and situations I’ve felt — whether it be being lost in a person, an idea, or external expectations — are all kind of my own doing. I don’t want to play the blame game. The only way forward is for me to make changes. I feel like these songs communicate this introspective phase that my artist project character is in after escaping Stepford in my EP Trophy Wife In Training.”
What kind of identity do you hope to project as an artist this year? Is there anything you want to do differently or similarly than previous years?
ARI LEE: “This year, I want to play in the grey area more. Luckily, I’m in a place in my career where I have complete creative freedom, and I want to push myself sonically, lyrically, thematically, and physically. Life is not so black and white and I want to explore the nuances of the subjects I wrote about in 2025.”
If you could name three of your biggest creative goals, what would they be?
ARI LEE: “It’s my absolute dream to do a performance video where I incorporate choreography since I grew up dancing. And when the time is right, a second goal of mine is to make an album — I love storytelling and I feel like an album would enable me to tell a fully fleshed out narrative through music, start to finish. I’d also love to go on tour so that I can meet more people from my community and expand it.”