The songstress provides a lyrically bittersweet offering while staying true to her addictive pop brand

Following a standout debut EP Trophy Wife In Training in September 2025, Hong-Kong born Ari Lee returns with another emotionally rich offering in 'Knife Cuts Both Ways'.

A striking voice in the pop landscape, the latest release from the London-based songstress is a bittersweet offering expressing the inner conflict between wanting to be loved, yet wishing to be free from something that no longer serves you. Although melancholic in its subject matter with deeply powerful lyrics and Ari Lee’s emotional delivery, “Knife Cuts Both Ways” remains a hypnotisingly addictive pop track.


“It’s the come-to-Jesus moment in a toxic cycle when you realise that you need to get out now and get out fast. Because the love that morphs you into someone that you hate, the person who over-promises and under-delivers, is a knife that cuts both ways. I wrote the song at a time when I realised I had entangled myself in an unhealthy situation and was on the brink of 
self-abandonment again. Old habits die hard but I finally set myself free.” - Ari Lee

Written with seegz and produced by Gustav Brunn (Yung Lean, Olga Myko) the track begins with a retro-sounding bass and shimmering synth layers that create an air of bittersweet nostalgia that lend themselves to Ari Lee’s reflective lyrics: “don’t think I want it, not another empty promise”. But paired with a minimalist drum beat that snaps with quiet confidence throughout, it gains a subtle edge that gives the track a clear emotional duality, simultaneously evoking feelings of sadness but also of empowerment.

With significant attention already gained from her debut EP from the likes of EARMILK, ASIAN TONES, RESONATE and ATWOOD MAGAZINE plus placing in 33+ global Spotify Editorial playlists, including Fresh Finds and All New Pop, Ari Lee’s defines the clear trajectory of a fast-growing pop starlet on the rise.

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About the artist: ARI LEE is a Chinese-Portuguese artist that has been drawing attention in the indie alt-pop soundscape. Fighting men in pearls and heels, and sometimes falling in love with them, her delivery is sharp and infectious. Based in London, ARI released her debut EP “Trophy Wife In Training” in September 2025, and has received spotlight from 33+ global Spotify Editorial playlists such as Fresh Finds and All New Pop, as well as Future Hits Radio UK's A List.