Ryan Cassata I Review "i feel like throwing up"
- Editorial Staff
- Nov 25, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 28, 2025
“i feel like throwing up” - fearless, honest, and absolutely cool!
Ryan Cassata releases his debut LP “Greetings from Echo Park”, and we took a deep dive into “i feel like throwing up”, the new single from this genre-defying powerhouse musician.
Ryan Cassata from Los Angeles, CA is a queer artist and trans activist, and you absolutely need to hear him. We mention queer and trans identity upfront because it should be as normal as anything else, yet here it’s inseparable from the music itself: every line carries a sense of advocacy, reflection, and lived experience. His activism is intertwined with his artistry, making this work stand out in today’s musical landscape. Here's our Ryan Cassata "i feel like throwing up" review:
The track opens with a bright, strummed pop guitar, immediately setting an intimate, inviting tone. Ryan enters almost right away, delivering the first lines in a clear, recitative vocal style that feels both conversational and intentional. This immediacy creates a sense of closeness, as if the song is speaking to you like an old friend who can be brutally honest without hesitation.
As the pre-chorus approaches, the instrumental subtly recedes, giving Ryan’s voice more space and allowing tension to build. When the chorus arrives, the full instrumentation blooms, lifting the song into a choral-like refrain that feels surprisingly airy. It’s a striking contrast: a composition that sounds light and almost buoyant while carrying a title as visceral as “i feel like throwing up”. This juxtaposition keeps listeners leaning in, curious about the emotional layers beneath the surface.
The structure remains classic and streamlined. There’s no bridge, a choice that works perfectly here, as the song doesn’t need dramatic detours. Instead, it maintains a steady emotional pulse, letting the honesty of the lyrics and the clarity of the arrangement carry the impact. The production is clean and polished without ever feeling over-produced; each instrument has its place in a well-balanced mix, supporting the song without overshadowing the vocals.
The lyrics themselves are central to the track’s power. Ryan’s precise pronunciation and rhythmic delivery turn even casual lines into a form of artistry. The chorus, in particular, stands out:
My friends, they / Will sing this really loud / But unless a stranger sings it / I won’t really feel proud.
To fully appreciate it, you need to read and listen simultaneously, the phrasing and cadence create an almost tactile rhythm that enhances the emotional resonance.
Lyrically, the song paints a vivid portrait of emotional dissonance: a world that appears vibrant and alive from the outside, yet feels hollow and nauseating from within. Cassata contrasts a hyperactive party atmosphere with an internal state that can no longer keep up. While everyone else drifts effortlessly from moment to moment, drinking, laughing, moving through space, the narrator retreats inward, disconnected from experiences that once brought joy. Throughout the verses, he observes those around him with almost documentary-like detachment: everyone is trying to feel alive, yet very few succeed.
The emotional pivot comes when Ryan reflects on his own past: a time of bold action, uninhibited speech, creative freedom, and grounded identity. That contrast gives the song its deepest ache: external progress may appear linear to friends or fans, but internally it is experienced as nausea, anxiety, and exhaustion.
What makes the song so effective is its honesty. Cassata captures the tension between outward perception and inner reality, between visibility and vulnerability. “i feel like throwing up” speaks to anyone who has ever seemed “fine” while quietly struggling, and it does so with striking clarity, empathy, and realism.
Ryan Cassata constructs a raw collection of folk punk, blues, and pop punk songs that soundtrack stories of anxiety, escapism, illness, and transphobia.
He is an award-winning singer-songwriter, actor, performer, published writer, LGBTQ+ activist, and transgender motivational speaker. With over 650 performances nationwide and internationally and seven original and critically-acclaimed musical albums, Cassata is proud to be recognized as the first openly-trans performer at the Vans Warped Tour, in addition to featured performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Green Show, Global Pride, and SXSW. He has been praised by The Advocate Magazine as a “Transgender singing sensation.” Paper Magazine included Cassata on their "50 LGBTQ Musicians You Should Prioritize" list, and LOGO’s New Now Next included him on the “9 Trans Musicians You Need To Get Into” list. Billboard Magazine has referred to him as a “true force in the industry,” honoring him as one of the esteemed "11 Transgender & Non-Binary Musicians You Need to Know".
What makes this track truly memorable is its duality: the bright, open production carrying lyrics that cut straight to the bone. It’s the kind of song that stays with you long after it ends, not because it’s loud, but because it tells the truth. Cassata transforms discomfort into art, anxiety into resonance, and vulnerability into a form of quiet strength. With this single, Cassata not only expands his sonic identity but also solidifies his role as an artist who dares to articulate what many feel but rarely say out loud. It’s brave, intimate, and unmistakably him. A track that doesn’t just deserve to be heard, it deserves to be felt.
“i feel like throwing up” is made for listeners who crave emotional honesty wrapped in accessible, melodic songwriting. Musically, it speaks to fans of indie pop, folk-punk edges, and intimate storytelling; people who appreciate clean, clear vocal delivery, crisp guitar work, and arrangements that stay close to the heart instead of hiding behind production theatrics. If you’re drawn to songs that feel conversational yet meticulously crafted, this one will immediately resonate.
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🎸 Listen to Ryan Cassata here: Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp
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