Yafania captures the heartache of the situationship in her dreamy new single Don’t You Wanna Be With Me? — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
We’ve all been there before: That frustrating limbo zone that isn’t quite friendship but isn’t quite romance either. Yafania, Vancouver’s newly minted princess of romance-pop, takes us on a guided tour of that misbegotten territory on Don’t You Want To Be With Me?, a poignant exploration of unspoken love that channels the frustration and longing that come from being caught between what you have and what you want.
The song’s frustration and longing come to life in the video, with Yafania embodying both the intensity and fragility of her emotions as an angelic figure. The track finds our narrator wanting more than the agonizing uncertainty of waiting for her guarded, hesitating crush to make the first move. Yafania, dressed as an angel, represents the intensity and fragility of her emotions. Reaching her breaking point, she finally addresses the unspoken tension: “Am I really just another friend, or am I the girl you’d call your own?”
The dramatic urgency is driven by Yafania’s vision, seamlessly blending rock influences with rich, layered instrumentation. Backed by the dynamic sounds of Eddie Lam (electric guitar and keys), Flavio Cirillo (drums) and Darren Parris (bass), the song evokes the nostalgic feel of a late-2000s romcom while providing the perfect backdrop for her soaring, emotionally charged and complex lyrics. It’s a project of remarkable depth and maturity, especially when you consider that this songstress hadn’t yet hit 20 when she penned it.
“When I first wrote the song, I was a teenager. I was full of dreams of that ideal love, with the youthful hope of ‘Could this be the beginning of something real?’ ” she recalls. “But the reality, when it came to relationships, was often much more complicated. I was frustrated with the silence, the waiting game, and finally decided to confront it head-on. That frustration and uncertainty are vividly captured in the music video, where the tension between longing and hesitation takes center stage. It’s part of a larger story that I’m telling across my music in chapters.”
Featuring Pearce Joza (Mech-X4, Lab Rats), the video for Don’t You Want To Be With Me? places viewers in the middle of the love story, into Yafania’s world of longing and frustration as the pair struggle to leap from friends to lovers. With cinematic flair, Yafania delivers the next chapter of the narrative introduced in The Right Guy, which has amassed 500,000 views and 160,000 streams. Blending surreal and real elements, the video weaves a tale where memories and desires collide. Unlike standalone videos, Yafania’s saga unfolds as a connected narrative, offering fans a serialized experience.
The Right Guy introduced audiences to the highs and lows of high-school love. Directed by Said Khallaf and Yafania, Don’t You Want To Be With Me? carries the same aesthetic, weaving emotion and cinematography into a thoughtfully crafted sequel. With more chapters to unfold, fans eagerly await to discover if the pair will ever recognize the spark of romance between them, or if the chance for love will slip away once again.
Taken together, the songs and their videos show why Yafania is already such a trailblazer in her chosen genre, one who uses her signature gift for storytelling to craft immersive musical experiences. Her drive and passion may convey romantic idealism, but they also portray an emotional depth that sets her apart from her peers. “Ultimately, everything I do is about making people feel seen,” she says. “I want listeners to connect with the emotions in my songs and feel empowered to speak their truth.”
Watch the video for Don’t You Want To Be With Me? above, hear more from Yafania below, and spend some time with her on her website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
