Cleo Handler Walks Away From a Relationship With Too Many Granular Demands on Indie Pop Single “rules”

Cleo Handler released her new album compare & contrast on April 4, 2025 and it’s full of songs that contemplate aspects of ourselves when we are in relationships and how we are by ourselves and the way our intuition speaks to us that we can ignore at our peril in pursuit of what we think will make us happy or fulfilled with someone else. The single “rules” is a wry yet lively song that seems to come from a place of being involved with someone who has a lot of rules for their life that they don’t always adhere to themselves in ways that are growth oriented but don’t always extend to accommodating the needs of others. The song doesn’t strike a regretful tone, just one noting the ways in which the relationship with its restrictions would never work out long term and just embracing coming to that realization without rancor. Essentially the song is one that asks oneself what compromises and accommodations you’re willing to make to be in someone’s life and if it’s what you want for yourself and if that relationship is worth it for those restrictions and that it’s okay to decide that it’s not. Which is a major theme throughout the record. Listen to “rules” on Spotify and follow Cleo Handler at the links below.