Often, teenage romance is mocked by mature adults, especially when it is characterized by a song by Olivia Rodrigo. Perhaps she is well-meaning but when teenage romance is sung about it in a manner that views it as bitter breakups and yearning, it destroys the preciousness of the moment in a teenager’s life. PRETTYMUCH flips that idea upside in their song “Gone 2 Long” with their meaningful lyrics that resonate with the listener. Despite their reputation or rather a characterization as a boy band, the group’s songs are anything but cliche and bubbly in nature. The song was officially released by Syco Music on May 20th, 2019 but snippets of the song were leaked over one member's Instagram live. 

At first glance, the lyrics may seem like a stereotypical song about a guy wanting his girl back but on further reading, the person whom the song lyrics are about is actually allowing himself to mull over what happened. PRETTYMUCH definitely thought out their lyrics as they tried to find a common denominator in the lives of teens. 

The song does not fit the stereotypical teen heartbreak/romance stereotype. “Gone 2 Long” can touch the heart of a person who has experienced the period in a relationship when it seems that both parties are losing their love for one another. Nick Mara starts out the song, singing, “I'm telling me lies/ saying I'm alright/I look in the mirror/don't see no tough guy”. In these lines, one can hear the inner conflict in the person’s mind about how they feel about the relationship pause. 

However, one aspect of the song that sticks out is the recurring theme that the guy is telling the girl that he misses her. Brandon Arreaga smoothly sings "Don't you give your heart away so easily/That would be the end of a beautiful story." The guy is asking her to really consider where their relationship went wrong and to think hard before she moves on with someone else. 

Out of five stars, this song deserves four stars. Not only is the song entirely written and produced by PRETTYMUCH, but the song was also somewhat autobiographical in that they drew from their past romantic experiences.  The emotional lyrics make sense to one who has experienced heartbreak on any level, a common experience in everyone’s life.