The song, which Roan co-wrote with its producer, Daniel Nigro, proved an arduous creative undertaking. She compares “The Subway” to her early hit “Casual,” a song about wanting someone who won’t commit, both in terms of its content and the production process. “It took an annoying amount of time to just get it right,” she says.

Her latest single has a new sound (wistful '90s acoustic pop), and a new vibe (toughing out whatever NYC public transportation throws at you, from rats to trash to unexpected encounters with your ex).