Finding a good relationship can be quite overwhelming, but leaving a bad one can be equally difficult. A lot of people go through emotional hurt just to try and make the relationship work. It sometimes takes a special type of courage to realize the person you love might not just be the one for you. It requires courage to move on.
The song 28 by Ruth B and Dean Lewis is one that highlights all the struggles of moving on in a relationship that doesn't seem to be working. Ruth B's verse tells the story of how she's lost so much of herself in trying to be with her partner. She opens with put you first just like you wanted, showing that she'd made sacrifices for her partner as the words you wanted in that verse shows that for her, it was all about his happiness. This is evident at the end of the first verse where she mentions "I almost threw it all away", which shows that she's given her everything for the relationship to work.
The chorus goes even deeper as she mentions I guess I had to lose you on the way to finding me, showing that at this point she already recognizes that love wasn't enough for them to work out. This is usually seen in many toxic relationships with one partner almost loosing themselves to the relationship, luckily Ruth B claims she recognized that part of her healing was to let him go.
Dean Lewis comes in verse 2 and opens with the words It was hard to be there for you, equally highlighting his own struggles in the relationship. His struggles to support and be there for his partner, while seeing his dreams fall apart. It is evident that both partners have suffered from some level of emotional pain.
Later on they both sing even though I loved you highlighting that love wasn't the issue here, you know I had to leave. There's pain in moving on but they both acknowledge that it's for the best.
This song is one of my favorites from Ruth B, and the Dean Lewis collaboration didn't fall short as they were able to complement each other well. It is an emotional song that mirrors the reality of many relationships today, with partners struggling with pain. The song emobodies sacrifice, pain and growth and why it's best to sometimes move on.
