Laroie dares to exit her safe zone with honest slow tempo single “Waterfall”

In the opening shot of the video for “Waterfall”, tears roll down Laroie’s cheeks as she sits beneath fluorescent office lights, a mermaid tail draped over the edge of her cubicle. It’s an image of displacement and being caught between worlds, much like Laroie herself as she navigates life as an artist constantly in motion. The Montréal musician, born Gab Godon, captures what it means to feel both out of place and deeply human with the need to hold yourself together while falling apart.

“Waterfall”, co-written with French producer Daoud and Montréal’s Mada Mada, emerged from a songwriting camp that brought together artists from France and Québec. “It was the last day of the camp and we’d been writing uptempo bangers all week,” says Laroie. “Daoud said he wanted to slow things down. It felt outside of my comfort zone, but something clicked with this song.”

The result was a ballad she describes as a “letter to the universe” and a reflection on uncertainty, burnout, and the quiet act of forgiveness. “I was holding space for a friend who was struggling and I started reflecting on my own situation,” she says. “The song became about trusting that I’m trying my best and asking the universe to see that, even when I don’t have all the answers.”

Unlike her recent single “LSD” – reimagined through remixes by Montréal producer Lunice (of TNGHT) and Amsterdam's Retromigration – or the kinetic, dancefloor-leaning “On Time”, “Waterfall” takes a breath favouring emotional clarity over propulsion. It’s a natural continuation of Laroie’s exploration of intimacy through electronic production, but it also reveals new depth that shimmers with soft piano and ghostly trumpet tones that glide beneath the surface. “I’m not used to releasing slower, more emotional tracks,” she admits. “But this one really hit differently. I couldn’t let go of it.”

That sense of surrender extends to the video, directed by longtime collaborator Maïlis. The concept of a mermaid stranded in a sterile workspace, like a fish out of water, mirrors the song’s core idea of existing somewhere you no longer fit. “My director wanted to portray someone who’s stuck, trying to move with grace, but struggling,” Laroie explains. “I wasn’t acting that day and I couldn’t stop crying; everything just came up. I let the song take over me.”

The vulnerability she brings onscreen echoes the transformation she’s undergone as an artist. Formerly one half of the Montréal duo Heartstreets, Godon has embraced the autonomy and uncertainty of a solo path. “It’s different,” she says. “Sometimes it’s challenging being alone, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Yet even as she forges her own direction, collaboration remains at the forefront. Whether it’s co-writing in Los Angeles, or working with trusted creatives back home like Lunice, connection anchors her work.

“Waterfall” will appear on her debut album, set for release next year, and encapsulates a narrative shaped by emotional honesty. “It’s a reminder that it’s never a straight line. There’s beauty in hardship. You just have to keep trying your best.” As the track swells towards its final chorus – “Cleanse me like a waterfall / You bring me joy and so much more / I only hope I give it back to you someday” – that message feels less like a lyric and more like a release, with Laroie learning to let the current carry her.