MUST HAVE BEEN: TAR1Q’S SOUL-STIRRING SERENADE OF LOVE AND LOSS

There has always been something special about Tar1q. His voice–a tremulous, soul-piercing instrument–carries the kind of emotion that makes you feel every lyric, every note, every ache. It’s a gift few possess, an ability to turn raw vulnerability into sonic beauty. And on Must Have Been, his latest single released on March 7, 2025, he delivers one of his most heart-rending performances yet.

This is a song of longing, of heartbreak, of the weight of love that slips through your fingers no matter how tightly you hold on. Tar1q paints a picture of a fractured relationship, the kind where two people, despite the depth of their bond, become strangers. “It must have been love, but it’s over now. We be strangers now, now you gone so far…” he laments, his voice heavy with emotion. There’s pain here–the intense, heart wrenching kind–and an aching resignation, the kind that comes from trying everything to make it work but realizing that love sometimes has its own expiration date. “Try other things but no lie say I no try hard.”

The production, handled by the ever-talented BMH, is a perfect complement to Tar1q’s storytelling. The instrumentation is smooth yet melancholic, with gentle guitar strums and atmospheric synths cradling his voice like waves pulling a ship out to sea. It’s the kind of song that you don’t just listen to–you feel it, let it seep into your bones, let it remind you of the love you lost, the moments that once felt eternal but have now faded into memory.

But perhaps the most striking thing about Must Have Been is how effortlessly Tar1q translates emotion into melody. His voice, so rich in feeling, doesn’t just convey sadness–it embodies it. When he sings the chorus, “water runaway my eye ohh,” you can almost see him standing alone, eyes glistening, caught between nostalgia and pain.

For those who have followed his journey from his breakout Son of the Moon EP in 2022 till now, this song is yet another testament to his evolution as an artist. Tar1q doesn’t just make music; he tells stories. And Must Have Been is a story we all know too well–one where love slips away, and all that’s left are echoes of what once was.

With this release, Tar1q once again proves why he’s one of the most compelling voices of his generation. Must Have Been isn’t just a song; it’s an experience, a journey through the depths of love and loss. And as his voice lingers in the air, as his words settle into your soul, you can’t help but feel it too.