The Kid LAROI’s ‘Before I Forget’: A Heartbreak Album Forged From Scrapped Dreams

In a bold move that underscores the raw, often chaotic nature of artistic creation, Australian singer-songwriter and rapper Charlton Howard, globally known as The Kid LAROI, made a dramatic pivot in his burgeoning career. Facing the aftermath of a high-profile romantic breakup, the 22-year-old artist scrapped an entire album he’d nearly completed, titled ‘Watch This!’, to deliver instead a deeply personal and melancholic 15-track record: ‘Before I Forget’. This decision, revealed in early 2026, marks a significant turning point, offering fans an unfiltered glimpse into his emotional turmoil.

The Unraveling of ‘Watch This!’: A New Direction Forged in Pain

Before the heartbreak, The Kid LAROI was, by his own account, in a state of romantic bliss, a sentiment captured in the sole survivor track from his original project, “I’m So In Love With You.” This song, brimming with the devotion of unbreakable vows, stands as a poignant relic of what might have been. However, as Rolling Stone reported in January 2026, a fresh breakup with pop star Tate McRae became the catalyst for a complete overhaul. LAROI confessed to Variety that he spent a grueling three months recording ‘Before I Forget’ with ‘a lot more direction’—a direct consequence of his shattered romance. The initial recordings, including 2025 singles like “How Does It Feel?” and “She Don’t Need to Know,” were set aside, deemed no longer reflective of his reality. These discarded tracks, rich with a personality that fans rarely get to see, hinted at a different artistic path, one less overshadowed by the ‘Bieber-isms’ that often permeate his work.

Inside the Heartbreak: Key Tracks That Define ‘Before I Forget’

The new album is a tapestry woven from sorrow, regret, and a desperate plea for understanding. While some critics, like Rolling Stone, suggest it’s ‘largely devoid of the feeling that LAROI could really be bringing something special to pop,’ they also acknowledge moments that make counting him out a mistake. Tracks like “Private” shine as luminous, grooving alternative pop standouts, navigating the complexities of a relationship under public scrutiny. ‘Could have worked it out, ’cause I know it was bad but it could have been worse somehow,’ he sings, echoing the pain of watching something beautiful burn down.

Another highlight is the nostalgic R&B single “A Perfect World,” which offers LAROI’s most cutting account of a relationship’s steady deterioration and his lingering hope for reconciliation. Here, his raw honesty cuts through, particularly when he declares, ‘I don’t wanna talk unless you really wanna say shit.’ This track, notably, feels less concerned with being a chart-topping hit and more about building the album’s narrative, a choice that benefits both its artistic depth and commercial appeal, according to critics at Riff Magazine. Other standout moments include the beat-forward mid-tempo banger “July,” which locks into an infectious flow, and “Come Down,” a melodic nod to early 2000s soul music with its laidback synth and punchy backbeat.

As the album progresses, an emotional corner is turned on “The Moment,” a biting mid-tempo track featuring British singer Clara La San. Yet, the journey is not without its stumbles. The minute-long ‘5:12AM’ feels more like a disruption than an interlude, deflating the momentum built by stronger tracks. However, ‘Thank God’ acts as a saving grace in the second half, its urgent pop-rock pacing raising the stakes. LAROI’s vulnerability is palpable on the ballad “Maybe I’m Wrong,” where he admits to scrapping three songs born of anger, only to realize the good times still overshadow the pain. The album closes on an unsettled note with “Back When You Were Mine,” leaving listeners with the lingering echoes of an unresolved emotional battle, a testament to the influence of R&B legends like Babyface and Boyz II Men on his evolving sound, as he shared with Z100 Portland.

The Artist’s Identity: Strengths, Struggles, and ‘Bieber-isms’

Since his breakout in 2020, LAROI has been sharpening his skill set, transitioning from the fringes of rap to establish himself as a significant pop contender, often compared to artists like Post Malone for his expert ear for cross-genre melodic structures. Despite this talent, a recurring theme in critical reviews is LAROI’s seeming mistrust of his own artistic authority. When he hits his stride, as on the career triumph “Bleed” from his 2023 debut ‘The First Time’, or even tracks like “July” on this album, there’s a noticeable reluctance to fully invest in these successful pockets. This hesitation, critics argue, leads to him spreading himself too thin, attempting to cover too many bases and risking becoming a ‘LAROI of all trades, master of none.’ This internal struggle for artistic identity, coupled with the raw emotion of his recent breakup, defines the challenging yet compelling landscape of ‘Before I Forget’.

‘Before I Forget’ is a testament to the transformative power of heartbreak, serving as a raw, unfiltered document of a very specific emotional period in The Kid LAROI’s life. While the album boasts some of the strongest material of his career, these highs inadvertently cast a sharper light on its less developed moments. It’s a deeply human record, echoing the universal plea for acknowledgment and forgiveness, whether from a former lover whose ‘Tit For Tat’ (Tate McRae’s perceived response to LAROI’s ‘A Cold Play’) became a Top 10 hit, or from an audience searching for authenticity in the evolving sound of a young artist still finding his definitive voice.