Will Linley’s ‘Don’t Cry Because It’s Over’: the ultimate soundtrack for your love story

Who doesn’t love a good romcom? We grew up on them, and some of those films have clung to us like the unforgettable soundtracks they carried.

There’s just something about those films that made us feel like life itself had a soundtrack, where every crush, every heartbreak, and every messy love story deserved its own montage. 

The romcoms of today can’t quite match the classics, but the nostalgia they spark is timeless, and that’s exactly the space Will Linley steps into with his debut album "Don’t Cry Because It’s Over".

The launch wasn’t your average “press play and vibe” moment. Linley gave us the full package. Songs that hit you right in the feels, paired with visuals that leaned into the kind of cheesy romcom tropes we’d usually roll our eyes at, except this time we loved every second of it.

Each song feels like a scene from a romcom, not just expressing emotion but painting it vividly, almost cinematic in its detail. The music doesn’t simply ask you to listen but also invites you to imagine. 

Kind of like when you read your first book without any pictures and your mind fills in everything naturally. For Linley, romance comes just as naturally.

Linley has always impressed me with his ability to craft songs that feel personal yet universally relatable. This time, he’s gone further, creating music that plays out like a film reel in your mind.

That’s his magic. He turns sentimentality into something you want to live inside. Suddenly, you’re picturing yourself as the lead in your own movie, replaying memories you thought you’d locked away; your first crush, that bittersweet goodbye, even the silly moments that still make you smile.

Linley has always impressed with his ability to craft songs that feel personal yet universally relatable. This album takes it further.

Two to three years in the making, it’s a full-length journey of healing and self-discovery. Some tracks were written months ago, others have lived in his archives for years, but together they form a soundtrack of memory, emotion, and above all, love in all its phases and everything in between.

“I enjoy the feeling you get watching romcoms,” Linley explains. “Like in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, when Matthew McConaughey’s character is running down the Brooklyn Bridge chasing taxis. We thought, How do we write songs that capture that exact scene?”

Even the album title carries its own lesson: "Don’t Cry Because It’s Over" reminds us that failed relationships aren’t wasted. You can love someone deeply, believe they’re “the one,” and still see it fall apart. The beauty is in cherishing the memories for what they were.

I am reminded of Andrew Garfield's energy when he said, “Sadness is kind of a gift. It’s kind of a lovely thing to feel in a way because it means you really loved somebody when you miss them.”

That's exactly the kind of emotion these tracks pull out of you, messy, real, and a little bit healing.

"First Love" was an immediate standout. The lyrics capture that universal ache of being caught between memory and reality, and it’s the kind of track that feels as though it knows exactly what you’ve been through.

It’s instantly relatable, the type of song where you find yourself humming along to the chorus on the very first listen.

“I wrote ‘First Love’ at the end of my first breakup. The song captures the questions in your head after a relationship. I had to come to terms with the fact that my first girlfriend had to put up with me learning how to love. I’ve come to realize the first time you do anything, you don’t get it right. Sadly, that includes love.”

Preach!

On the other end of the spectrum sits "Up At Night", a song brimming with brightness. It carries that unmistakable summer energy, the December-in-Mzansi vibes where the sun doesn’t set, and everything feels good.

It shows Linley’s versatility, proving he can just as easily deliver celebration as he does reflection

And then there is "Last Thing I Do," a track that lingers. The second it started, I was transported. I pictured myself sitting on some train in the middle of nowhere, rain sliding down the window, headphones in, crying like I’m in a scene from a European indie film.

Dramatic? Absolutely. But that’s the kind of space this song takes you to. It gave me the same feeling I had when I first heard Red’s version of "Ordinary World", and if you know, you know. Good music is just good music.

Linley also released "Cinematic", one of his latest singles that reminds us our lives can feel like a movie. He’s admitted to being inspired by artists like Coldplay, and you can hear that influence here, mixed with a touch of South African energy, because let’s be honest, we love a good beat.

Not only has he shown us his musical abilities, but he’s also proved what a great actor he can be, too, and we’re totes (totally) here for it.

"Don't Cry Because It's Over" is out now.