Born in Queens, New York into a family of missionaries, Abra spent her first eight years in London, where her parents built the church they would ultimately work in. Her introduction to singing came from that church, too, where her father was pastor and her mother oversaw praise and worship. After London, her family settled in the quiet suburb of Lilburn outside Atlanta. At 14, Abra began playing guitar. She attended Parkview Highschool and was an active member of the drama department, graduating in 2007. Later in her teens, she began uploading her acoustic covers of rap songs onto YouTube. This led to her being discovered by Awful Records founder and rapper Father, who encouraged her to make original music. She later joined the label in 2014.
Her first EP, BLQ Velvet, was released in 2015. Her second EP, Princess was released by True Panther Sounds on July 15, 2016. It is her first release on a major label. The song "Fruit" off the album Rose was featured in an article on the best R&B songs of 2016 by The Guardian.
Regarding Abra's style of clothing, Vogue commented in 2016 that "deliberate contrasts are part of her artistic identity on the whole: Abra is a member of the mostly male-dominated Awful Records coterie, an outlier crew swiftly taking over Atlanta with a sound that stands apart from ATL's rap oeuvre".
Abra is one of the stars of the 2018 film Assassination Nation and plays Em.
Crybaby
Abra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the plane, in the rain, back from LA
Remember when I, remember what I
How could you do me this way?
Do you remember when we first kissed?
How did it get this far to a place like this?
Oh why are you so cold to me?
Why you acting like we ain't nothing?
Got you sensitive oh well, too bad
Bet I wasted way too many years of my life on that
Yeah yeah
And it looks like rain
Baby take me when you ready
Baby I can get loud
And it looks like rain
And it looks like rain, rain, rain
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
I'll show you a crybaby, yeah yeah
Always catching myself at night
Only go out when the sun goes down
I got an ocean of emotion inside
I am not Poseidon lover's island but I ride him in the riptide
So no, no turning back now
I got you sensitive oh well, fuck that
Bet I wasted way too many years of my life
Let me worry 'bout that
Banging on the floor
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on your walls
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on the floor
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on your walls
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on the floor
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on your walls
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on the floor
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on your walls
I go up and down, up and down
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
I'll show you a crybaby, yeah yeah
The lyrics of AbrA's song "CRYBABY" tell the story of a failed relationship. The first verse starts with an accusation to the other person, as the singer states: "Look what you did, killed us, dead". It seems like the person talking to the former partner was hurt and betrayed by them, and they refer to a specific moment that they were coming back from LA, probably after a trip together. The singer remembers the first kiss between them and wonders how things went so wrong, as they ask: "How did it get this far to a place like this?". The song also shows the singer's frustration with the other person for acting like nothing important ever happened between them, despite all the time they spent together. The person singing seems to be trying to move on, as they say: "No turning back now, bet I wasted way too many years of my life on that", but they struggle with their emotions, declaring "always catching myself at night". Despite this, they reject the other person's characterisation of them as a "crybaby", emphasizing that it's really the other person who is making them cry.
Overall, the lyrics are full of raw emotions, showing the complexity of a romantic relationship's ending. The frustration, disappointment, and sadness of the singer all come through in the song. The use of the metaphor of banging on the walls and floor seems to express the intense emotion of the singer who can't find any other outlet for their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Look what you did, killed us, dead
You destroyed our relationship, it's over
On the plane, in the rain, back from LA
We had a bad trip home from Los Angeles
Remember when I, remember what I
I remember the good times we had
How could you do me this way?
Why did you hurt me like this?
Do you remember when we first kissed?
I remember when we first fell in love
How did it get this far to a place like this?
Our relationship has deteriorated to a bad place
Oh why are you so cold to me?
Why do you treat me like I mean nothing to you?
Why you acting like we ain't nothing?
Why are you acting like we never had anything?
No turning back now
Our relationship has reached the point of no return
Got you sensitive oh well, too bad
My emotions affect you and I don't care
Bet I wasted way too many years of my life on that
I regret spending so much time on this relationship
Yeah yeah
I'm acknowledging what you're saying
And it looks like rain
The weather reflects my mood
Baby take me when you ready
I'm willing to leave when you're ready
Baby I can get loud
I can be expressive and vocal about my feelings
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
You're calling me a crybaby
But you're making me cry
Oh yeah, you're calling me a crybaby
I'll show you a crybaby, yeah yeah
You're accusing me of being overly emotional, but your actions are causing me to be upset. I will prove to you that I have truly been hurt.
Always catching myself at night
Only go out when the sun goes down
I got an ocean of emotion inside
I am not Poseidon lover's island but I ride him in the riptide
So no, no turning back now
I got you sensitive oh well, fuck that
Bet I wasted way too many years of my life
Let me worry 'bout that
I spend nights struggling with how I feel. I try to avoid confrontation by only going out at night. I am overwhelmed with emotions. I am not in control of the situation, but I'm along for the ride. I'm not turning back now. My emotions affect you and I don't care. I regret spending so much time on this relationship, but I'll deal with that on my own.
Banging on the floor
I go up and down, up and down
Banging on your walls
I go up and down, up and down
I'm feeling frustrated and am expressing my emotions physically
Writer(s): gabrielle mirville
Contributed by Sebastian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jadeb44
sheโs one of the most inspiring women in music right now. her aesthetic just canโt be matched.
@Vimeo1x
a criminally underrated artist of our generation ๐๐ฅ๐
@tcminnis4707
just discovered her literally last night, I am sicckkk
@angeleyeszarai
Abra is oldschool fresh and that is pretty hard to beat. Especially when you have a voice that beautiful & are that free spirited. STOP comparing Abra. She can't be compared.
@MelShibson
This sounds like a 1980's chart topper.
@planetxtk7567
That's why it's so great.
@leanah753
I fuckin love it! I thought .04 - .19 was the best than 1.28 - 1.44 nailed it! ;}
@kgued
Almost all the songs from her album 'Rose' do
@Ernthir
yeah but in the shower though
@marleystoner6839
FonchCakes it really does lol. I like it.