Seré Opens Up About Grief and Hidden Emotions on New R&B Single “Falling Apart”

Philadelphia-born R&B singer-songwriter Seré is making her mark with her emotional new single, “Falling Apart." Blending contemporary R&B with the soulful influences of neo-soul, the track explores grief, personal struggles, and the difficult experience of trying to hold everything together when life feels anything but okay.

Following her debut single “Knew Better,” Seré continues to introduce listeners to her deeply personal approach to songwriting. Inspired by artists like Jill Scott, Sade, Janet Jackson, and Anita Baker, she brings a refreshing sense of honesty to modern R&B.

With “Falling Apart,” Seré explores a side of grief that often goes unspoken. While losing someone we love can be devastating, the song also touches on the experience of losing ourselves through personal change, emotional exhaustion, and life's unexpected challenges.

Rather than focusing on one specific experience, Seré leaves the meaning open for listeners to connect with their own stories.

The track reflects her creative philosophy of being “vulnerable on purpose,” encouraging people to embrace emotions they might otherwise keep hidden. “You can look completely fine and still be falling apart,” Seré shares. “I want people to know that their feelings are valid, even when they can't fully explain them, and that they aren't alone in those experiences.”

Already receiving recognition from Happy Mag's New Music Radar and earning a placement on the YAMS playlist, “Falling Apart” marks another promising step in Seré's growing career.

With heartfelt storytelling and a message many listeners can relate to, Seré reminds us that sometimes acknowledging our struggles is just as important as overcoming them.

“Falling Apart” is available now on streaming platforms.

“Falling Apart” explores the kind of grief that comes from losing yourself rather than losing someone else. What personal experiences inspired you to write about this side of grief, and why did you feel it was important to share?

It was really an accumulation of experiences that brought me to this point. I lost my Popop in 2018, just a few months before graduating college, and navigating adulthood without him was incredibly difficult. He was the person who always kept my head on straight, and suddenly, I was learning to navigate life without him.

One of those experiences was moving across the country alone to pursue what I thought was my dream job. I had worked so hard for that moment, but what I thought would be a dream come true eventually became a nightmare. It completely shattered my world, and I found myself trying to figure out who I was, over 2,000 miles away from everything and everyone I had ever known.

That's when I began to understand that grief isn't always about losing someone else. Sometimes, it's about grieving the person you used to be or the life you thought you'd have.

So, I did the only thing I knew how to do. I wrote about it. I poured those experiences into a song, hoping that someone else who felt like they'd lost themselves might hear it and realize they weren't alone. Because at the end of the day, I think that's something we all want: to know we're not alone in what we're going through.

You've described your approach to music as being “vulnerable on purpose.” What does that philosophy mean to you, and how has it influenced the way you approach songwriting and express your emotions?

I'm finally at a place in my life where I can embrace vulnerability, appreciate it, and truly understand what it means. For me, being "vulnerable on purpose" means choosing to confront what's scary, and sometimes, that's simply allowing yourself to feel out loud.

For a long time, I was afraid of vulnerability and had a habit of bottling up my emotions. I actually only recently learned how to let myself cry when I'm sad, lol. I used to hold everything in until I realized how unhealthy that was for me, both mentally and physically.

Now, I consciously choose vulnerability in my everyday life and in my music. Songwriting has become an extension of that healing process. If I'm learning to let myself cry, then I gotta let the songs cry too. Ultimately, it's about giving myself permission to feel, release, and move forward while inviting listeners to experience that release with me.

Growing up in Philadelphia, you were surrounded by a rich history of soul and R&B. How have those musical roots shaped your sound, and what elements of that influence do you hope to carry into your own artistry?

Philly is my whole heart and soul, and I'm so grateful to have grown up in a city filled with so much of both. There's something about the people, the culture, the grit, and the grind that builds character in you. I can feel the song of the city in my veins, and naturally, that finds its way into my music.

Growing up listening to Philly neo-soul artists like Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild helped shape my sound, especially my songwriting. I remember being in sixth grade, printing out Jill Scott lyrics and reading and singing them with my friends. I loved how poetic, relatable, and vulnerable her writing was. With Musiq Soulchild, it was the vulnerability, yearning, and soul in the way he expressed love and longing. Both artists showed me the beauty of being honest about what you feel.

Beyond the music, my experiences growing up in Philly shaped my perspective. From summer days walking around West Oak Lane with my friends to the creatives I've met and the beautiful and difficult moments in between, Philly has influenced how I see and navigate the world.

That's what I want to carry into my artistry: soul, vulnerability, and storytelling. I want my music to feel lived in, with a real person and story behind every lyric. No matter where life takes me or how my sound evolves, there will always be a piece of Philly in everything I create.

“Falling Apart” captures the experience of appearing okay on the outside while struggling internally. Why do you think people feel so much pressure to hide their emotions, and what conversations do you hope this song encourages?

I think a lot of people are afraid of vulnerability because of the judgment that can come with it. Nobody wants their character questioned or criticized, and sometimes even the possibility of being perceived differently is enough to make someone hide what they're going through.

We've also created this idea that strength means appearing invincible, like we're supposed to handle everything without ever breaking down. But I believe there's so much strength in being secure enough to acknowledge your weaknesses, flaws, and struggles. Real strength isn't necessarily about never falling apart, but about how you choose to pick yourself back up when you do.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to keep moving and showing up, even when we're struggling internally, as if needing a moment to rest somehow makes us less capable.

With "Falling Apart," I hope people feel encouraged to have honest conversations with themselves about what they're going through and what they need to begin putting themselves back together. Sometimes the first step isn't fixing everything. It's simply acknowledging that you're not okay and giving yourself permission to figure out what comes next.

With “Knew Better” and now “Falling Apart,” you're beginning to establish your identity as an artist. What have these first two releases taught you about yourself, and what can listeners expect from the next chapter of your music?

These first two releases have taught me more about myself than I ever expected. "Knew Better" had been sitting and waiting to be released, but I was afraid. I was heartbroken, discouraged, and quite literally falling apart, no pun intended, lol. Somewhere along the way, I had lost my relationship with music. The thing I'd loved most had also hurt me the most, and I was terrified of letting it hurt me again.

Eventually, I realized I couldn't keep waiting until I felt better or until life was perfect to pursue what I loved. I had to show up for myself, even while struggling. So I finally released "Knew Better," and something shifted. It felt like music, and I had finally made amends. I started getting my spark back and remembering why I fell in love with music in the first place.

"Falling Apart" taught me something different: to stop doubting myself, trust my instincts, and recognize that my voice matters and I have something worth saying. Releasing something so personal gave me a level of creative confidence I didn't know I had. I'm learning that I don't need to have everything figured out to create something meaningful.

As for the next chapter, listeners can expect an even deeper level of rawness and vulnerability. I'm experimenting creatively, falling more in love with music, and finding my way back to myself while discovering a version of me I haven't met before.

I want to tell the stories of how I got here: the everyday struggles, the yearning, the moments of joy, and everything in between. I'm not trying to tell a story where everything suddenly gets better, because I'm still growing, healing, and figuring things out.

If these first two releases were about finding the courage to begin again, this next chapter is about finding the courage to keep going and continuing to be vulnerable on purpose.