NSA (No-Strings-Attached)
Tate McRae

(DO NOT CHANGE MY LYRICS JUST UPDATE THEM.)

Write a song based on the structure below for an song titled “NSA (No-Strings-Attached)”.

The song is a queer-coded FWB track about a narrator who is emotionally detached but sexually/physically drawn to a “boy” (gendered as male in language, but not a traditional romantic love story). The tone should feel late-night, messy, self-aware, and slightly toxic in an honest way.

✦ IMPORTANT TONE RULES:
No Disney-like softness or sanitized emotion
No overly poetic vagueness (“signs”, “destiny”, etc.)
Must feel teen-adult / 18+ energy
Emotion should feel defensive, avoidant, slightly provocative
Include queer-coded language (he/him references, “boy”, “him”, “you’re just a boy”, etc.)
Narrator is emotionally avoidant, not romantic
Focus on physical tension, proximity, impulse, detachment
Keep it catchy, modern pop/alt-pop/R&B hybrid
✦ STRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS:
Verse 1, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus hook, Verse 2, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Final Chorus
Post-chorus must include a repetitive signature vocal hook (ad-libs, chant-like, layered vocals allowed)
Add background vocals, ad-libs, overlaps, and whispered layers where appropriate
Chorus should be the most hook-driven and blunt section
✦ LYRIC STYLE:
Conversational, slightly fragmented phrasing
Some repetition for obsession/avoidance effect
Include contrast between desire vs refusal
Use “you” directly, like talking to the boy in real time
Avoid over-explaining emotions — show them through behavior
✦ CORE IDEA:

“I want you, but I won’t stay. I won’t love you, but I keep coming back anyway.”

original song:
VERSE 1
hello, hello, tell me somethin’ i don’t need to hear
like you think this means more than it is
i don’t do forever, i don’t do “stay”
i do right now, then i run away
you look at me like i’m supposed to be soft
but i’m not built for holding on
i don’t fall in love, i fall into moments
and then i’m gone before you notice

PRE-CHORUS
don’t mistake this for something deep
i’m not yours to keep

CHORUS

POST-CHORUS (signature hook)
ch-ch-chill… don’t catch feelings
ch-ch-chill… keep it moving
ch-ch-chill… don’t make it real
that’s not what i came here to feel

VERSE 2
i don’t play hard to get, i just don’t stay
i get what i want, then drift away
(not all of the lyrics)

PRE-CHORUS
you can want me more than i want you
but that’s nothing new

CHORUS
come on fast, don’t slow it down
if it’s heavy, i’m not sticking around
i don’t stay for the love, i stay for the thrill
if it doesn’t hit, i’m out the door
no-strings, no ties, no second try
i only want it when it feels alive

POST-CHORUS
ch-ch-chill… don’t catch feelings
ch-ch-chill… keep it fleeting
ch-ch-chill… don’t make it real
that’s not what i came here to feel

BRIDGE
maybe i like the danger of it
maybe i like the way it burns
but don’t confuse that for softness
i don’t stay long enough to learn

FINAL CHORUS
come on fast, don’t slow it down
i already know what this is now
i don’t stay for the story, i stay for the spark
then i disappear into the dark
no-strings, no ties, no second try
i only want it when it feels alive

Tate McRae