Brooklyn-based indie-pop artist Rachel Bochner is exploring the emotional fallout of ending a relationship with her new track, “Say That You Don’t,” a release that examines the guilt of walking away from someone she still deeply cared about.

The single serves as the first glimpse into Bochner’s upcoming album, which chronicles the aftermath of a long-term relationship and her journey through grief, identity and acceptance.

Bochner said the song grew out of the conflicting emotions she experienced after deciding to end the relationship, despite believing it was the right choice.

“In the wake of my break up, I was consumed by guilt. Staying was not an option, but leaving came with the price of hurting someone I still cared so deeply for – who still cared so deeply for me. I couldn’t help but indulge myself with the inherently selfish fantasy of ‘Say That You Don’t,’” she said.

“If I could snap my fingers and make all the hurt and lingering love they feel disappear … would it alleviate my guilt? If they looked me in the eyes and told me they barely even thought about me after I left … that they are better off now without me … could I sleep a little better at night?”

According to promotional materials, “Say That You Don’t” explores the emotional burden that can linger after a breakup, even when leaving feels necessary. The song reflects on caring about someone while wishing they no longer had to carry the pain left behind.

The track also introduces themes that run throughout Bochner’s forthcoming album, which is rooted in the unraveling of a long-term relationship and the process of redefining herself afterward.

As a queer artist, Bochner said realizing her identity in her mid-20s reshaped both her life and the direction of the record.

“I didn’t realize I was queer until my mid 20s. Despite my best efforts, the life I’d spent years building no longer felt like home – it became a hand-built prison,” she said. “Accepting that meant facing I had no choice but to leave it behind.”

Those experiences became the foundation for an album that explores queer identity, guilt, grief and the gradual path toward acceptance.

Bochner has built a following through emotionally driven indie-pop that focuses on relationships, identity and self-discovery. With “Say That You Don’t,” she continues that approach while offering listeners an early preview of the themes that will shape her next album.