Roberta Battaglia waves the white flag in her poignant new ballad and video Truce — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Even though it can be hard to let go, it’s often the mature decision to end something that’s not working rather than to keep forcing it forward, even if that something is just a fight. That’s the message of Truce, the soaring first single from wise-beyond-her-years America’s Got Talent finalist Battaglia.
Amid cascading piano and infectious beats, the Toronto singer’s voice captures both the melancholy and intense liberation of choosing to call a ceasefire, whether it’s in a friendship or a romantic relationship or among family members. The music video explores the act of truce in a variety of relationships, with Battaglia walking through various scenes among people arguing. It culminates in a particularly poignant scene in a diner where a waitress quits after a fight with her boss, while Battaglia quietly cheers her on.
“So I wave a white flag, cuz I’m not bulletproof
The only way my heart wins, is by losing you
Go on and waste your apologies
You say you’ll change but you’ll just repeat
And so I wave a white flag, cause I can’t keep fighting you
Let’s call a truce.”
There’s also a scene where, after witnessing several arguments, Battaglia walks through a greenhouse and is suddenly surrounded by butterflies, illustrating the beautiful relief of choosing peace. The idea came about one day while Battaglia was enjoying lunch with her parents and her creative team, including her videographer Alex Gayoso. “I wanted a scene that was really dark and sad, and then it just all comes to life halfway through the video with the butterfly scenes,” Battaglia said. “I love the idea of ‘truce’ putting an end to anything upsetting or painful in our past by putting out positive energy.”
Battaglia’s inspiration in writing the song was some of the pain and hurt from her school years and trying to transcend it. “I want other people to realize that you’re not alone and you just need to call a truce with it,” she said.
Battaglia placed fourth on season 15 of America’s Got Talent, where 90 million people worldwide watched her performances. In 2021 Roberta filmed her first TV series Three Pines with director Sam Donovan (The Crown). The show will air on Amazon Prime Video in December.
Roberta was born in 2009 into a musical family. She began her singing career at the age of three alongside her father Alessandro Battaglia. A second-generation Italian Canadian, Roberta is fluent in both English and Italian and performs everything from ballads to high-octane pop.
Watch the video for Truce above, listen to the song below, and find Roberta Battaglia at her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
