Nina Fernandes invites us into the restless heart of modern love. In “Cruel,” the young Brazilian singer portrays two people circling each other, each waiting for the other to break the silence: “Quem fala primeiro?” (Who speaks first?). Every line feels like a tug-of-war between courage and fear, affection and pride. The repeated images of torn photos and rewound film capture that desperate wish to turn back time and fix what went wrong, while the chorus pleads for reality to be “menos cruel”—less cruel—with them both.
Beneath the delicate melody lies a universal question: how do we confess love when vulnerability can hurt so much? Nina’s lyrics hint at expiration dates, borders, and barriers, reminding us that opportunities in love are fragile and fleeting. Yet the song is not entirely melancholy; it glows with hope that, if someone finally takes the first step, the harshness of reality might soften into something gentler for two hearts learning to beat in sync.