Listeners were shocked to hear Aiko’s accompaniment on the track considering the former couple quietly called it quits on their relationship earlier this year. On the new song, Sean appears to mull over the demise of his relationship and the many negative impacts a romance suffers when partners blame each other for failures within their union. He also suggests the importance of taking time to focus on his own needs following a breakup.
“I’m single again/Told her we’ll be better off friends/Maybe I should just focus on me/And slow down, don’t rush romance,” Sean sings on the song.
The song marks the first time the Detroit rapper has addressed their split.
The pair began dating in 2016 and were rumored to be on the outs in late 2018. However, their breakup wasn’t confirmed until March. Aiko was first to address their ending and said the musicians were still on good terms despite separating. “Me and Sean are good. I got tons of love for him,” the California singer wrote in response to a post on The Shade Room’s Instagram in April.
Not long after Aiko expressed her adoration for her ex again, writing a heartfelt message to him on his Instagram post honoring late rapper Nipsy Hussle.
“You are so special. To me. To the world. While we’re both still on this planet I just want to say… I love you beyond measure,” she wrote, adding, “Even tho I get big mad and u trigger the f**k out of me. U make me feel. And I appreciate that. Because I thought I was dead inside. My ego has no say when it comes to you. And my heart has been broken a thousand times just to expand. It always finds room for you.”
“Single Again” and “Overtime” mark Sean’s first new releases following his nearly two-year hiatus from music. The 31-year-old recently opened up about taking a break to get his mental health in check after he abruptly canceled a tour scheduled in 2018.
“I had some things to work out in my head,” Sean told Billboard during an interview last year. “I never really took the time out to nurture myself, to take care of myself. It took me a lot of depression (and) having a lot of anxiety to realize something was off.”
He further elaborated on his need to focus on his mental being in a video message to fans shared on his birthday in March, explaining that his break from music helped him reach a state of clarity. He credited seeking therapy for helping him through his anxiety and depression and said now that he was back in a good place, he was finally able to create music again.
“I started getting back to making the music, and it started being fun again. I’m making the best music of my life,” he said. “It feels good to be back at a higher level.”
