2022 has been a pretty fruitful year for Illusion Hills. With the release of their soaring single, “genesis,” and earth-shattering “chasm,” an ode to perpetual change and evolution, they always seem to be bringing their best and most interesting creations to the table. Once again tackling introspective topics with catchy melodies, the Orange County collective, accompanied by han.irl<3 and Ryan Hall, share a brand new single titled “bittersweet.”

Refreshing with a slightly melancholic twist, musically speaking, “bittersweet” is quite light. Adorned by bright and delicate guitar riffs, with the occasional sharp percussive touches, it isn’t hard to  picture yourself listening to the track rather casually. However, looking into the lyrics and the intent behind the song completely disproves this idea, bringing forward another relatable topic to contemplate.

Overthinking — the dreaded black hole we all get sucked into now and again — is the main focus of the song and is lyrically executed to perfection. Each verse sees a different member, or collaborator contemplating a significant other's actions and intentions as they bring forward their own doubts and concerns. As the choruses tie their worries with a melodic bow, the refrain feels central to the track “I just want to know, what's been keeping you from sleeping. Are you up at 3 or 4, do I got you overthinking?”

Adding to the anecdote of how this collaboration came to be — an impromptu visit from Ryan and han.irl — jayastro spoke of the concept behind the single, “The song is about the person that you can’t stop thinking about and why it seems they want to find any reason for your relationship to fail yet you still want things to work.”

Seamlessly matching up to the quality of the two tracks released earlier this year, “bittersweet” goes to prove the collective's versatility and talent. If you weren't convinced Illusion Hills could be a musical must in your life, this is your chance to reconsider and join the fandom.

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