Make the call & Burn the bridge: Koyo return with new single, ‘irreversible’
Picture this, you wake up angry because you and your partner got into a huge fight. The night before, there was a blowout — voices raised, doors slammed, words you can’t take back. Then they drop a bomb, it’s over. You're full of anger, shock and a burning rage, wanting to scream. You know you should sit with it, breathe through it, let the dust settle — but instead, you grab your phone. You make the call. You let every raw, unfiltered emotion spill out, no matter the consequences. This is exactly what Koyo does in three minutes with their latest single “Irreversible.”
It’s been a minute since Koyo last released anything. They featured on a track with Plainview, a emo band from Michigan. But, the last time we heard from Koyo was their EP, “Mile A Minute,” in Nov. 2024. The guys are finally back with their latest single, “Irreversible,” for their new upcoming album, “Barely here.”
The single starts by making you want to jump as the drums kick in, with Anthony’s guitar riff and Stephen’s bass line following along. It’s a song made to start off or close out a show, it begs to have the crowd jumping up and down. Around the 17 seconds in, you think that the song will slow down, but the beat picks back up and Joey’s vocals comes in. It starts off soft with the lyric, “You deserve everything,” making you think it could be a love song. This idea is immediately proven wrong, as the next lyrics are: “Every horrible thing in your life, to happen twice, or all the time.”
These lyrics just hit, it has that teenage hate between you and an ex partner. It’s a perfect song to listen to when during a heartbreak and your ex has moved on, but yet you still have that anger in your heart and that has gradually built inside of you.
Lyrically, the song reminds me of a 2000’s breakup song, and it’s so great. One of my favorite lyrics from the song is: “I hope you have a panic attack on Amtrak train.” It’s the perfect humorous yet raw line. Reading these lyrics, it’s obvious that Taking Back Sunday was one of the biggest inspirations for the band. They sound reminiscent to the lyrics John Nolan or Adam Lazzara wrote during the “Tell All Your Friends” era. Generally speaking, it’s shocking how the two have yet to tour together, as they go hand-in-hand.
Moving forward to the chorus, it’s short but straight to the point, making you want to two-step, stage dive and bounce around. When you have around a third of the song left, Joey belts out, “Everyone Is excusing your behavior. Too far gone I swear the grudge in me is greater.” It just strikes a nerve, noting how no matter how many times someone has wronged you they will always have people defending their actions.
Lastly, my personal favorite part is how the track ends. It doesn’t end with a “f— you” or “I hate you,” it simply ends with a phone hanging up. It’s strangely beautiful, after the call ends, you realize that you did something that is irreversible.
Although it has been a hot minute since Koyo has released anything, this single makes it feel like they never left.
P.S. if anyone from Koyo is reading please perform Do you still hate me at an LA show