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Photo: Ethan Newmyer

Earlier this year, New York artist Marà­a Isabel dropped her debut single, "The 1." The sublime ode to a long-distance relationship took our breath away, but more than anything, it introduced Isabel as a veritable tour-de-force in the world of dreamlike R&B. It is a sentiment she continues to give weight to with her phenomenal sophomore outing.

"Where Does the Love Go?" sees Isabel linking up with Yeek to pen the next chapter in the ongoing story of her long-distance relationship. While "The 1" arrived wrapped in a velvety blanket of tender forget-me-nots, "Where Does the Love Go?" delves deeper into the insecurities that accompany time and space spent apart. "What if you go / Forget the way home / Running in circles we're never together / So where does the love go," somberly muses Isabel. The sentiment feels all the more pronounced given the current long-distance relationship of sorts much of the world currently finds itself in.

From a sonic standpoint, "Where Does the Love Go?" arrives in stark contrast to the sunset hues that ran across the dashboard of her impeccable debut. As Isabel wears her heart on her sleeve, the beat finds its own pace, stepping into a skittering lofi meditation reminiscent of Archy Marshall. The effect is further elevated as Yeek saunters in focus to deliver a slurred and intoxicating verse. Isabel spoke further on her sophomore single, sharing,

"'Where Does the Love Go?’ continues the story of my long-distance relationship, introduced in my first single. It begins to dive a bit deeper into the hard parts of loving someone from across the country. The song, produced and co-written by my friend Yeek, asks, when two people are apart, where does the love between them go? I think the production serves for the perfect outlet for the restless feeling I'd get from coming together, just to have to say goodbye again. Yeek and I wrote it last fall, but the song feels even more relevant now. Whether, it’s because of long distance, or social distancing, we're all finding new ways to communicate our love. Hopefully, while separated or isolated, that love just grows."

Listen to "Where Does the Love Go?" below: