Natalie Jane returns with heartbreaking new single, “r u gonna love me?”
“American Idol” alum Natalie Jane has never been shy about expressing her emotions; she’s always taken a slightly different musical path than many of her “Idol” peers. Her latest single, “r u gonna love me?”, finds Jane at her most vulnerable yet.
As she gears up to drop her debut album (titled “the world i didn’t want”) in late October 2025 (through Capitol Records /10K Projects), Natalie Jane delivers a raw account of wondering if her partner will, in fact, still love her years into the future on “r u gonna love me?”
Born Natalie Janowski, the now-21 year old competed in Season 18 of “American Idol” in early 2020, placing inside the Top 40. In July 2022, Jane signed with Capitol Records /10K Projects -releasing her debut post-“Idol” major-label single, “Mentally Cheating”. From there, Jane went on to release her debut EP (titled “Where Am I?”) in 2023 following up with 2024’s “Sick To My Stomach” EP.
“r u…” opens with a haunting, moody piano intro that reminded me of Jewel’s “Foolish Games”. Jane begins by musing, “What would life be like without you? / Would the world around make sense?” She has so many questions that she wants to ask her lover (“Oh, so many things I wanna say / But will you say 'em back to me?”). On the word “me”, the piano pauses for a brief second, allowing the word to sink into the listener’s conscious.
This longing carries over into the swooping chorus as Jane belts, “Are you gonna love me / When all of my hair turns gray and old / Will you give me that stare like you did before? …Through all of the worst fights and the what if's?” You can hear the absolute heartbreak in her voice. And all at once, it’s both gut wrenching and beautiful.
The second verse finds Jane risking everything to stay by her partner’s side (“And I'd climb with you however long it would take”). She’s determined to see it til the end -hoping that her lover feels the same way.
Overall, an emotional ballad from start to finish. I’m excited to see where Natalie Jane goes from here. Looking forward to her debut album!
Natalie Jane - “r u gonna love me?” ([Official] Visualizer (w/ Lyrics)): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RC1ph-z0_dc