Royel Otis – “who’s your boyfriend” | Song of the Week

Fresh off their sophomore album ‘hickey’, Royel Otis has your PEAK Song of the Week with ‘who’s your boyfriend’.

With a music video that feels straight out of a movie (starring none other than The Summer I Turned Pretty actress Lola Tung), ‘who’s your boyfriend’ presents a dichotomy between its heavy lyrics and airy sound. Soft melodies and hazy vocals belie the song’s underlying tension; the confusion of the uneasy middle ground between friendship, love, and rejection. Being shot entirely on Kodak film only adds to the video’s cinematic presentation.

The narrative wrestles with mixed signals from someone who’s emotionally present with you, but still tethered to someone else. Lines like “Why do I have a pet name, if we’re just friends?” reveal quiet frustration, while the repeated question “Who’s your boyfriend now?” becomes less about jealousy and more about seeking clarity in a relationship built on ambivalence.

‘who’s your boyfriend’ thrives in its contradictions: light on the surface, but heavy with everything left unsaid. It’s that rare song that shimmers with warmth while carrying the ache of unrequited affection, proof that Royel Otis can make heartbreak sound almost comforting.