“What Would I say?” - Rich Allen
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Every now and then, a song comes along that feels like it was written for you — not just about you, but actually for those silent, uncertain moments you carry in the back of your mind. Rich Allen’s newest single, "What Would I Say?", is exactly that kind of song. Raw but composed, nostalgic but present, it's a slow-burning, soul-infused reflection on love, regret, and the unspoken words that haunt us long after the curtain’s closed.
Based in Tampa, FL, Rich Allen delivers this track with a tenderness that feels earned. There’s no flashy production or over-the-top drama here — just honest-to-God songwriting, the kind that reminds you how powerful a few well-placed lyrics and a vulnerable voice can be. You can tell this comes from someone who’s lived through what he’s singing about.
"What would I say if I ran into you?" Rich opens with that gut-punch of a question we’ve all wrestled with at some point — standing in front of a past love with nothing prepared but a flood of emotion. Will you speak? Will you shrink? Will you see in their eyes the same weight you’re carrying? It's a ballad, sure, but it doesn’t wallow. Instead, it moves gently, with smoky piano chords and softly aching melodies that underscore the hesitation, the nostalgia, and the subtle hope that maybe, just maybe, there’s something still left to say — or hear.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Produced with restraint and taste, the track lets Rich’s vocals breathe — and breathe they do. There’s warmth and a little bit of rasp, but above all, there’s honesty. When he sings, “Through the embers, I learned to survive,” it lands. It feels like the song of someone who’s picked themselves up, but still glances back every now and then, wondering.
Rich Allen’s been earning quiet recognition — multiple ISSA nominations and growing buzz in songwriter circles — but this release feels like a turning point. He’s not trying to follow trends. He’s just telling the truth in a way that’s impossible to ignore. And that truth, combined with his soulful delivery, is what makes this track stick.
"What Would I Say" is for the late-night thinkers, the people still holding space for what might’ve been, and the romantics who believe closure doesn’t always come in grand gestures — sometimes it lives in a song like this. With Rich Allen, it feels like we’re just getting started, but he’s already proving he knows how to say the things so many of us can’t.
“What Would I say?” is available now on all major streaming platforms
