“I Won’t Mind”

The New York-based R&B singer Raveena’s 2017 debut EP, Shanti, was radiant. Whether the 24-year-old was processing a past abusive relationship or basking in the warmth of newfound self-love, she delivered each note of her honeyed tracks with an almost religious devotion. “I Won’t Mind”—Raveena’s new, stripped-down ballad—is a luxurious love song that makes a powerful, simple statement: It’s okay for lovers to be vulnerable. It swells with only a sleepy piano, a few muted synths, and a cascading harp, a spare backdrop that allows her silky vocals to be front and center. Her easy shifts in and out of falsetto are stunning—there’s a brightness and conviction in Raveena’s voice as she celebrates the quieter, more complicated moments in her relationship. “I know that you don’t cry/But I won’t mind if you do,” she sings, sidestepping R&B’s more ribald cliches for tender, everyday details. It’s a mesmerizing performance, illustrating Raveena’s abilities to write a truly nuanced love song.