Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae Cry About It! Meaning and Review

“Cry About It!” by Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae is one of the standout tracks from Sincerely: PS, perfectly aligning with the whimsical, vintage-inspired sound that defines the project. The instrumentation has an airy, dreamlike quality, built around lush strings and a doo-wop-style swing that feels both retro and timeless. Uchis and Lenae’s angelic voices float atop the production, delivering a performance that is as biting in its message as it is beautiful in its presentation. It is the kind of track that immediately catches the ear while rewarding closer lyrical attention.

Production and Songwriting

Kali Uchis co-wrote and produced the song with Spencer Stewart, best known for his work with Laufey. Stewart’s influence is evident in the nostalgic textures, which evoke mid-century girl group harmonies and throwback pop sensibilities. Yet, this is not mere pastiche. Uchis brings her signature bilingual flair to the forefront, mixing English and Spanish effortlessly to create a layered, global sound. The chorus, which tells a rival to “cry until it stops hurting,” sets the tone: unapologetically sharp, with a playful cruelty that fits the song’s dramatic stylization.

Kali Uchis’ Verse

The first verse finds Uchis addressing her lover’s ex directly, admitting that she understands the resentment but brushing it off as envy. Her lyrics, “Yo sé que te duele cuando escuchas mi nombre / Sé que me odias solo por un hombre,” make it clear that the conflict stems from jealousy, not any wrongdoing on her part. This perspective plays into the confidence and glamour Uchis often embodies in her music, and here it is sharpened into a kind of elegant dismissal. It is not just shade, it is shade delivered with poise.

Ravyn Lenae’s Verse

Ravyn Lenae’s verse adds an interesting dynamic. While one might expect her to embody the voice of the scorned woman, she instead doubles down as the romantic victor, echoing Uchis’ position with her own silky delivery. Her lines, “Creeping under the surface, I know I make you nervous / Tell me what is the purpose if it’s out of my control?” frame her as both sympathetic and unbothered, striking a balance between grace and triumph. Lenae’s presence deepens the song’s texture, creating a conversational feel between the two singers that keeps the narrative engaging.

Cry About It! Review

Though there is no official music video yet, “Cry About It!” has already made an impression live, with Uchis and Lenae performing it together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The performance highlighted their chemistry and the theatricality baked into the track, cementing it as a fan favorite from Sincerely: PS. Ultimately, “Cry About It!” is a glowing example of how Kali Uchis continues to reinvent retro influences through her modern, bilingual lens, while Ravyn Lenae proves to be an ideal collaborator, matching her elegance and adding a fresh layer of emotional clarity. It is whimsical, sharp, and effortlessly stylish.

Listen to Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae Cry About It!

Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae Cry About It! Lyrics Meaning Explained  

The meaning of Cry About It! by Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae is rooted in rivalry, envy, and the complexities of romantic entanglements, delivered through a playful yet cutting doo-wop aesthetic. The song positions Kali Uchis as the triumphant lover, addressing an alleged ex-girlfriend of Don Toliver with both mockery and confidence, while Ravyn Lenae adds texture by echoing Uchis’ stance and offering subtle insight into the rival’s pain. Through bilingual lyrics, whimsical instrumentation, and angelic vocals, the track transforms what could be a simple diss into a layered exploration of jealousy, power, and the emotional fallout of being involved with a manipulative partner. It is simultaneously theatrical, confessional, and unapologetically sharp.

Intro

“Cry About It!” begins with Kali Uchis’ ethereal “Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh / Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh” intro, which sets a whimsical, angelic tone. The sweetness of this opening contrasts sharply with the cutting shade of the lyrics that follow. The intro works almost like sugarcoating for what is essentially a diss track dressed in vintage doo-wop style.

Chorus

The chorus introduces the central taunt: “Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad) / You should cry about it (Oh-oh).” Here, Uchis openly mocks the alleged ex-girlfriend of Don Toliver, dismissing her feelings as trivial. The bilingual twist “Llora, llora, hasta que ya te deje de doler” (translated as Cry, cry, until it no longer hurts you) adds a maternal but still biting tone, reinforcing Uchis’ Colombian roots while emphasizing her dominance. The repeated lines “Go cry about it / Cry about it, cry about it / Go cry about it” exaggerate the theatricality, as if mocking the ex in a sing-song manner.

Verse 1: Kali Uchis

In the first verse, Kali makes her position clear. “Yo sé que te duele cuando escuchas mi nombre” (I know it hurts you when you hear my name) flaunts her awareness of the rival’s pain. She sharpens the blow with “Sé que me odias solo por un hombre,” accusing the ex of irrational hatred born solely out of jealousy. This continues with “Sé que la envidia is killing you softly,” a clever flip on the phrase “killing me softly,” where envy is painted as the ex’s downfall. Finally, “Every time I step out, put the nail in your coffin” portrays Uchis as victorious and publicly triumphant, suggesting her presence alone diminishes her rival.

Verse 2: Ravyn Lenae

Ravyn Lenae’s verse offers a different texture while keeping aligned with Uchis’ perspective. “Creeping under the surface, I know I make you nervous” positions her as another trigger for the rival’s insecurities, while “Tell me what is the purpose if it’s out of my control? (Out of my control)” frames her as blameless in the situation. She takes on a patronizing tone with “Baby girl, take it easy, losing sleep over envy,” reducing the rival to someone overwhelmed by jealousy. The most revealing lyric is “Through you I can see clearly and I know why you're hurt,” which acknowledges the rival’s pain and hints at the deeper issue: both women have been played by the same man, Don Toliver.

Outro

The song closes with Uchis repeating the message in a softer, almost maternal way. “Sometimes you just got to cry / You just got to cry about it / So cry about it a bit” sounds soothing on the surface, but in context it still carries a smug undertone. By the time she repeats “Sometimes you just got to cry / You just got to cry / Cry about it,” the outro feels like both advice and dismissal. On one hand, it admits that crying is part of healing, but on the other, it underscores her triumph by reducing the ex’s pain to something trivial and inevitable.

Cry About It! Meaning

The lyrics of “Cry About It!” paint a portrait of rivalry steeped in envy, mockery, and condescension. Uchis takes the role of the victor, gloating over her position, while Lenae adds nuance by both reinforcing this stance and quietly acknowledging the rival’s pain. Beneath the doo-wop sweetness and angelic harmonies lies a sharp diss track, one that also indirectly exposes the messy reality of Don Toliver’s history of infidelity. Both women appear powerful in song, but the undertones suggest they too have been caught in the orbit of a manipulative partner.

Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae Cry About It! Lyrics

[Intro: Kali Uchis]

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

[Chorus: Kali Uchis]

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

You should cry about it (Oh-oh)

Llora, llora, hasta que ya te deje de doler

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

Go cry about it

Cry about it, cry about it

Go cry about it

[Verse 1: Kali Uchis]

Yo sé que te duele cuando escuchas mi nombre

Sé que me odias solo por un hombre

Sé que le envidia is killing you softly

Every time I step out, put the nail in your coffin

[Chorus: Kali Uchis]

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

You should cry about it (Oh-oh)

Llora, llora, hasta que ya te deje de doler

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

Go cry about it

Cry about it, cry about it

Go cry about it

[Verse 2: Ravyn Lenae]

Creeping under the surface, I know I make you nervous

Tell me what is the purpose if it's out of my control? (Out of my control)

Baby girl, take it easy, losing sleep over envy

Through you I can see clearly and I know why you're hurt

[Chorus: Kali Uchis]

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

You should cry about it (Oh-oh)

Llora, llora, hasta que ya te deje de doler

Too bad (Too bad), so sad (So sad)

Go cry about it

Cry about it, cry about it

Go cry about it

[Outro: Kali Uchis]

Sometimes you just got to cry

You just got to cry about it

So cry about it a bit

Sometimes you just got to cry

You just got to cry

So cry about it

Sometimes you just got to cry

You just got to cry

Cry about it