Premiere: Lunch $pecial, REIN, & Catie Lausten Revel In Paradox On “Little Hate”
Life is full of contradictions we rarely stop to question. We sip drinks that blend sweetness with bitterness, lose ourselves in love songs steeped in heartbreak, and cling to the people we cherish while harboring unspoken resentments. These ironies aren’t just incidental–they propel us forward, pushing us toward the next fleeting high, the next moment that makes the contradictions feel necessary. We navigate joy and sorrow, attachment and detachment, never fully acknowledging how seamlessly they intertwine. Maybe it’s because, deep down, we understand that love without contrast feels hollow–that without the ache of absence, the comfort of presence wouldn’t feel quite as real.
It’s in this friction that connection finds its sharpest edges. In the silence after an argument, in the hesitation before a touch, in the weight of words left unsaid. It’s not about clarity or closure but about learning to exist within the disparity–to accept that love and frustration, tenderness and tension, can occupy the same breath. The beauty isn’t in erasing the dissonance but in recognizing that it’s part of what makes the feeling real, what gives it depth, what makes it worth holding onto… even when it hurts.
All of this converges in “Little Hate,” a bold new single born from the collaboration of hip-hop dynamo Lunch $pecial, rock fireball REIN, and pop artisan Catie Lausten. The song pulses with juxtaposition, matching the way affection and animosity can coexist, one simmering beneath the surface while the other flares up. Set for release on Friday, March 14, “Little Hate” showcases the distinct strengths of each artist while presenting a unified take on a fractured theme. Today, The Auricular is proud to premiere this ambitious track with an exclusive stream below, along with insights from Lunch $pecial on its origins and intent.
“My fingers fit yours when we lock for a minute\ When we hold for a minute,” the song begins with an ardent hook, immediately establishing a connection that feels both immediate and ephemeral. That cursory nature becomes even clearer as the lyrics continue: “You’re cold to touch\ I’m right out of love\ When we stop for a minute.” It’s a reflection of the song’s central contrast–how closeness and distance, affection and detachment, can exist in the same breath. “Little Hate” sprouts from that strain, tracing the undercurrents of intimacy where tenderness and rancor quietly intertwine.
Conceived by Lunch $pecial, the origins of “Little Hate” stem from his tangled emotions toward two people–one who inspired an entire project and another whose presence lingered unresolved, never quite finding a place in his art. That lingering tension wasn’t just a creative roadblock; it became a catalyst. “That started to be a muse of mine,” he reflected. “Trying to condense those things.” That process unfolded as he delved into the films of Luca Guadagnino–Call Me By Your Name, Queer, Challengers–drawn to their unvarnished depictions of connection, especially in moments of emotional collapse. “I’m looking at the ways two or three characters can feel so intimate and naked and bare,” he stated. “Those are things I kind of wanted to present. The pathetic strength that I think we have when things are starting to unravel.”
That push and pull between power and pettiness lies at the core of “Little Hate.” The title itself plays with duality: something as powerful as hate, diminished by the qualifier little, yet still holding weight. It also nods to the 1995 French film La Haine (The Hate), which influences the song’s forthcoming music video both visually and thematically. “I think something as powerful as saying little hate can mean so many things,” Lunch $pecial noted, reflecting on how we can hold love and resentment at once. “To love someone, inherently, means there’s a little hate for them.” Whether in minor annoyances or unspoken frustrations, contradiction is embedded in even the healthiest relationships. Human nature is fractured after all, so why wouldn’t love be?
Musically, “Little Hate” thrives on tension, one that feels organic and fluid, driven by the interplay between hip-hop and rock. The result is both raw and smooth, a frenetic yet cohesive fusion. Lunch $pecial likens his approach to painting with an array of influences, pulling from striking auteurs like Guadagnino and Mathieu Kassovitz, as well as hip-hop visionary Tyler, The Creator. “I think the one talent I do have in what I’m doing is being able to paint really vivid pictures,” he said. “I owed it to myself to paint a picture that is tonally different from a lot of things I do.”
That tonal range is fully realized in this track, one that feels uniquely tailored to its collaborators. Lunch $pecial delivers with his signature blend of turbulence and precision, Catie Lausten’s vocals cut through the mix with both elegance and force, and REIN’s guitar line emerges as an almost wordless fourth voice. Together, they don’t just explore contradiction–they revel in it.
Don’t let its runtime fool you, though. “Little Hate” is more than a quick-and-easy radio song; it’s an exploration of the complexities we carry, the dualities we embody, and the quiet truths we hesitate to name. In just two minutes, it distills the reality that even love, at its most sincere, holds within it a whisper of something else… something unspoken, unresolved, yet impossible to ignore.
“Little Hate” is out on all streaming platforms on Friday, March 14, and you can pre-save it now by clicking here. To keep up-to-date with each artist, make sure to follow them on social media: Lunch $pecial, REIN, & Catie Lausten.
