An earworm is defined as a catchy song or a tune that runs continually through a person’s mind. DJ Earworm is renowned for his annual pop music mashups called the United State of Pop, in which he assembles a mashup complete with the year’s most notable pop music songs that got stuck in everyone’s heads all year long by various pop music artists.

United State of Pop 2015

In the current United State of Pop mashup he did at the end of 2015, he incorporated hits from the Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Drake, Tove Lo, Ellie Goulding, Walk the Moon, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Demi Lovato and many more. The mere fact that the aforementioned artists all have songs that can be played and mashed up with others just further reiterates that the current pop music climate is stretching beyond previous definitions of the word. For singer songwriters, top rappers, boy bands, and some EDM artists to be included among the United State of Pop 2015 mashup is pretty cool.

I spoke about this in a previous blog, and I really do think that the pop music climate has been increasingly trending towards blurring all genre lines. Pop is focusing on earworms and essentially just good songs that people want to hear, whether it is from a singer songwriter or an EDM team. A hook is a hook and the top pop hits right now show that the mainstream public is not as concerned with a particular sub-genre of pop music. People are now much more open to listening to a pop music playlist featuring, for example, Drake, the Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, and Shawn Mendes.

As artists, there are many different components that are necessary to resonate big time with the general public. You have to have that x factor charisma, the look and vibe that is able to be emulated, that authenticity, and the ability to perform and captivate an audience. But there is one thing that if you don’t have it, the other stuff is meaningless. That one thing? Yes, the songs. You can have all the look and vibe that you may ever need, but if you don’t have the ability to effect someone’s vibration and immerse into their minds, which is what good songs do, then it doesn’t really matter.

I think DJ Earworm did a phenomenal job on his latest mashup and really did include the biggest pop music hits of 2015. When listening to the DJ Earworm Mashup, it was definitely interesting to see how most of the pop music songs he selected were all pretty upbeat and had great grooves & beats to them. In this crazy and unpredictable world of extreme turmoil and difficulties, we need these great earworms to lift us up, make us feel good, and remind us all that the United State of Pop is here to stay.

To check out my earworm, “Paris,” please head on over to my official website and download on iTunes as well. To watch the official music video click here and for some behind the scenes footage, click here.

Thank you for the support and belief. #chasedreams

Much love,

EC

Chasers! Let’s start 2016 off right with a great pop music playlist to get everyone pumped up for the best year yet. So many great pop music releases came out at the end of 2015, and there are great pop music artists gearing up for big releases this year.

The biggest pop music hits of last year came from Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars, Adele’s smash hit “Hello,” the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” and Justin Beiber’s “Sorry,” to name a few. These pop music songs all were sonically presented in such a slick way and all came with music videos that undoubtedly had a major effect on pop music culture – and really all pop culture in general.

While I love all of the aforementioned artists and pop music hits, I want to suggest a playlist mix of some of the biggest songs and artists of last year plus a few from the underdog pop artists. The underdog artists may have quietly rolled into 2015, but I believe will make a larger impact in 2016.

My Pop Music Playlist for 2016:

1. Twenty One Pilots – Stressed Out
2. Dnce – Cake by the Ocean
3. Sam Hunt – Break up in Small Town
4. Holy Child – Money all Around
5. Halsey – Hold me Down
6. Years & Years – Shine
7. Ellie Goulding – On my Mind
8. Ed Sheeran/Rudimental – Lay it all on Me
9. One Direction – Perfect
10. Thomas Rhett – Die a Happy Man

My pop music playlist is an eclectic mix of artists and pop music songs, but I think the genre has expanded to include all of these artists on the main top 40 top 100 Billboard Charts which is pretty cool.

There is always a lot of pop music criticism that is present in the industry, but the fact that on the top pop music charts there are country artists, rock artists, hip hop artists, and r&b artists in addition to traditional pop artists, it really sets the tone for what the public wants to hear. That’s why there has been so much success with concert experiences such as the iHeart Radio Music Festivals that include a variety of artists from different genres that have the potential to crossover to various fan demographics.

I’m looking forward to hearing more music from Twenty One Pilots, Dnce, and Years & Years in 2016. These pop music artists all broke through in 2015, but I think they all have way more music to be heard. I am also curious about Lady Gaga’s new release expected sometime this year, and some new music from Rihanna as well.

My single “Paris” was released at the tail end of 2015 and definitely fits in with the artists and singles on my pop music playlist above. It has a lot of different influences in its style and production. Let me know what you hear!!

You can download it here and watch the official music video here.

Thank you so much for the belief and support. It means everything to me. Let’s make 2016 the best ever and always #chasedreams

Much love,

EC

Chasers! I am so excited to kick off this next year and talk about pop music news for 2016. From the return of Adele and her first headlining arena tour (really ever, because of her vocal surgery), to the unbelievable return of the original line up of Guns n Roses (!!!!), this year is going to provide an epic musical soundtrack to all of our lives across all music genres.

There is usually an artist or two that basically owns the year and sometimes, even though they have been working at their craft for years or even decades (Chris Stapleton), there is a crack in the pavement – and they are able to skyrocket to the masses.

For the majority of 2015 it was the year of Taylor Swift. Her 1989 record was a huge success that spawned multiple hit singles and viral music videos. Her 1989 World Tour was a pop culture phenomenon covered in major music news headlines, showbiz news, and many music articles. However, during the final quarter of 2015, Adele, Justin Bieber and the Weeknd made sure to make a huge impact in 2015 as well.

Pop Music News for 2016

2016 should prove to be a huge year for Adele in terms of her already sold out and hyped up US tour. The Weeknd only seems to be gaining more momentum and will probably continue to release catchy singles.

The return of Guns n Roses is something I think a lot of people gave up on believing in, but it was just confirmed via Billboard and Rolling Stone, and was even top news on CNN. Whatever live dates they decide on will be sold out instantly. This will also increase the value of their catalog, and in the coming weeks they will most likely see an increase in sales and streams of their classic music.

2015 brought streaming and artist’s compensation rights into the top news and mainstream media, with artists like Taylor Swift and Adele refusing to have their music be streamed.

Spotify Music Lawsuit

Also at the tail end of 2015 Spotify had been hit with a 150 million dollar lawsuit regarding unpaid royalties.  This is sure to cause some shake up or perhaps a larger conversation that needs to happen between the new industry juggernauts: Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and other streaming services, and artists and writers that deserve fair compensation for their work that they are entitled to.

The music download is still rather relevant and important for an artist’s career, yet the streaming trend has increased in popularity over the last few years. It will be interesting to see what transpires in 2016.

Music in 2016

I cannot wait to see and hear more from my favorite artists in 2016, including Chris Stapleton who really was the dark horse this year and should win all the Grammys! He is proof that good songs, good vocals, authenticity, and the right timing can really make all those beautiful stars align. He has my vote for artist of the year and is on my end of year music playlist.

As for me, I end 2015 on a very high note and welcome 2016 in with open arms. I was lucky enough to be able to release my first single, Paris, at the end of this year and was so grateful that its video was directed by my friend Chris Hicky (Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw). I am excited to tour in 2016, release more music and connect with all my chasers!

Head on over to my website to download Paris on iTunes and watch the official music video.

Thank you so much for the support and belief. Have the best 2016 ever, continue to believe in yourselves and #chasedreams.

Much love,

EC

Happy holidays Chasers! As we wind down to the final week of 2015, I want to talk about my favorite song lyrics of 2015, song lyric trends, and examine a couple of my own lyrics.

There was actually a very interesting article that came out recently which opined that the average grade level of reading for the most popular songs in the major 4 song genres (country, pop, rock, hip/hop) came out to a 3rd grade level. ( http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/05/the-lyrics-of-recent-no-1-singles-average-at-a-third-grade-reading-level/ )

I have some thoughts of why this appears to be so and if it is a positive or negative thing. Song lyrics and song meanings have always been important to me, but I shifted my songwriting and lyric writing style when I realized that the point of a good song is to evoke some sort of emotion in someone else, and to have the listener be able to identify themselves in the song lyric. Because I believe this to be true, I think it is important to consider the masses and write words that the majority of people across multiple races and socio-economical classes can relate to.

Sub-genres of My Favorite Song Lyrics

However, I am also aware that certain genres and sub-genres (“Bro-country”, hip/hop “gangsta rap”) use culturally appropriated slang terms, and a good portion of the audience that listen to these songs are aware of and identify with. On that note, there are often song titles, song verses, and song lyrics that may not be grammatically correct and/or spelled properly, but still work within the cultural context of the song genres and the song meanings.

When you seek song recommendations outside of the mainstream top 40, there is a plethora of music and song lyrics that are very sophisticated in all of the above 4 genres listed. Although maybe they are not melodically or stylistically commercially designed and therefore do not reach the masses in the same way.

Song Creativity

I think that is the beauty of creativity: some artists really consider song lyrics like poetry, and each word is incredibly conscious and powerful. Some other artists are more concerned with rhyming and fitting a chord progression and rhythmic pattern to get to the catchy hook.

There is no wrong way to create music. However, music that reaches the masses will most likely be universally relatable on a lyrical level.

I also believe that sometimes less really is more and if you are trying to convey in a song that you love someone, sometimes it works best when you simply say those three words. Other times, it behooves you as a writer to include a deeper metaphor.

But, for me, it always goes back to the feeling: does this song make you feel the longing and heartbreak? Does it make you feel the elation and joy? Or does it move you and make you think about the state of the world?If it does evoke emotion, and if someone can comprehend the music no matter whether it’s a third grader or a 45-year-old neuroscientist, than what’s wrong with that? After all, we are all going through life and music provides our soundtrack.

I’ve noticed that when I was younger certain song meanings mean and evoke something entirely different than my current state of being. I honestly believe that a great songwriter aims to be inclusive with lyrics rather than isolating in an attempt to be more sophisticated. Again, I am speaking about mainstream top 40 chart and not music and artists as a whole.

On that note, here are a few of my favorite song lyrics of 2015 (can be from albums released in 2014, but singles released in 2015):

“You’ll see me in hindsight
Tangled up with you all night
Burning it down
Someday when you leave me
I bet these memories
Follow you around”

-Taylor Swift “Wildest Dreams”

“There’s an art to life’s distractions
To somehow escape the burning weight
The art of scraping through
Some like to imagine
The darker caress of someone else I guess any thrill will do”

-Hozier “Someone New”

“And I know that I can’t ever tell you enough
That all I need in this life is your crazy love
If I never get to see the Northern lights
Or if I never get to see the Eiffel Tower at night
Oh if all I got is your hand in my hand
Baby I could die a happy man yeah”

-Thomas Rhett “Die a Happy Man”

Paris Song Debut

My debut single “Paris” actually has some interesting song lyrics within it that I am really happy about with as a songwriter, because I think they help milk the emotion of the song and paint the picture of what is going on. Let me know if you agree and what these lyrics mean to you – I would love to hear!! Be sure to download “Paris” on iTunes and watch the official music video on Youtube.

Here are my favorite song lyrics from my debut single “Paris”:

“I thought I left it in tatters, I thought it was too close to call
But you came back to me, and all I could do was fall”-Erica Chase “Paris”

“I thought I took you for granted, but all these tears I shed,
You know we hurt the ones we love, just to free them instead”-Erica Chase “Paris”

Thank you so much for the support and belief. Wishing you all a great holiday and a happy New Year! Go #chasedreams in 2016!!

Much love,

EC

There is absolutely nothing in this world like hearing your favorite song performed by your favorite artist at a live show. It can be magical and even life altering if you let yourself really fully be present in the live music experience.

Live Music Vs. Recorded Music

I find myself so inspired when I go see a live musical performance featuring my musical heroes. It does something profound, and if the concert experience is great all I want to do is go home and pick up my guitar and write.

I’ve been fortunate to see artists including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, the Zac Brown Band, and just about every genre in between. You can tell when artists have been manufactured in a studio and are puppets that clearly cannot live up to the record.

Similarly, you can also tell when real artists get on that stage and own it. Seeing these live artists is a completely different experience than listening to the record at home.

Live Musical Events

These days, due to the ever-evolving music industry, artists are touring more than ever. If you can’t afford to go to the live events, or are just not able to make it, you now have the option to watch the performance online.

Albeit mostly bootlegged footage on YouTube, some artists are choosing to live stream their own concerts to include even more fans. No matter if you are experiencing it from the comfort of your computer or at Madison Square Garden, the fact remains that there is still nothing quite like seeing an artist you dig perform live.

There are a couple of elements in a live musical performance that are critical and can make or break a show. An artist needs to accurately deliver what’s on their recorded track to a pretty solid A- degree. The artist also needs to engage with the audience to make everyone from the very front row to the nosebleed section feel that emotional connection, no matter what venue they’re at.

Live Shows

I’ve been to a couple of live shows where it seemed as though the artist was doing a chore, and was there because they were obligated to – not because they actually enjoyed it and were grateful that everyone even showed up to see them.

I’ve also been to live shows where even though the artist has been around for decades, it’s still so obvious that they love playing music and are not at all phoning it in.

Live Tours

In the live pop music world today, there are a select few artists that hit home on all of the above points and make sure that you get your money’s worth… they give you an experience to remember.

Taylor Swift just wrapped up her epic 1989 World Tour, and from the live performance documentary she released this was a pretty memorable tour to have seen. The production, choreo, and aesthetic details were so on point. The musical arrangements, delivery, and Taylor’s ability to connect with the audience was super solid all the way around.
Another tour that comes to mind is Ed Sheeran’s. He is just a ginger haired dude with an acoustic, but his honesty and urgency fills stadiums flawlessly.

If you as an artist don’t believe in what you are putting out in the live music sphere, then no one in the audience will believe it either. You have to put everything into the live show and then leave it all on that stage. There is just no other way around it.

Erica Chase – Live on Tour 2016

I’m so excited and cannot wait to begin touring in 2016. I’ll get the chance to engage with fans on a personal level, and will be able to take these songs and give them a new life with various live music arrangements.

But to tide you all over for now, please head on over to my website www.ericachase.com to download my single “Paris” and view the official music video.

Thank you all for the support and belief. It means everything to me.

EC

I feel like the term pop music gets an unfair negative connotation to it. Many people pigeonhole the genre to this tiny little subsection of music that appeals only to the “teeny boppers” and young kids with no credibility or legs to stand on.

However, if you dissect the actual word, it is short for popular, and that includes a wide range of music and pop artists, pop albums, pop fashion and anything else that has a vast influence on pop culture.

The Beatles Pop Music

For example, arguably the most popular pop music may very well be the Beatles, and it is hard pressed to find people that will downplay their complete influence on not only the pop genre, but on pop culture entirely. They were and always will be a game changer – those songs are some of the best ever written (I’m ridiculously biased because they are my ultimate inspiration as a songwriter).

Pop Genre

Today, the pop genre includes an eclectic array of artists from pop girl bands (Fifth Harmony, Little Mix), pop boy bands (5 Seconds of Summer, One Direction), hip hop (Drake, Kendrick Lamar), R&B (The Weeknd, Usher), rock (Imagine Dragons, Hozier), pop female singers (Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato), country (Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt) and so many more.

All of the aforementioned artists and sub-genres all now appear together on the Top 40 charts. There is not as big of a split these days between fans of country music, traditional pop music, and hip hop, as pop artists are blending genres all the time.

Pop Duets

The industry has taken note of this in a huge way, and that’s why now at nearly every major award show there are these pop duets that pair Ariana Grande with a Little Big Town, or Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar. This is commonplace now.  I think this is a great collaborative time to be in the music industry because of this.

The pop music doors are now open and many pop artists are taking advantage by reaching out to seemingly unlikely collaborators; even music artists from as little as 5-10 years ago. A few years ago people wouldn’t have expected EDM guys like Skrillex and Diplo to have hits on the top 40 charts, but teaming up with Justin Bieber (also a surprise for a lot of fans of both genres) they do.  This not only widens the fan base, but also narrows the gap between the fans.

Pop Festivals

The major festivals such as Coachella and Glastonbury have done this for a long time, but even more so in the last few years. They have added big time pop artists as headliners, and now the fans that may have come for an indie or lesser known band or artist end up staying for the mainstream pop headliner.  These artists are starting to use similar production with some crossover that the fans can identify with.

On a personal note, I think this is a really great thing. People always ask me to define myself as an artist, and while my music has strong current pop sensibilities it also lends itself to other tastes.  My music sometimes even has old school influences mixed with new school! My single “Paris” can be played on a Top 40 radio station while at the same time fit perfectly in a hip hop playlist; some may hear a bit of rock or country touches in there as well.

The great thing is that everyone can decide for themselves, and I absolutely love that about the current pop music climate.

To download “Paris” click here

To watch the “Paris” music video click here

Thank you for the support and belief, it means everything to me.

EC

There is no way that anyone between the age of 8-40 has lived on this earth in the last 5 years without hearing and being well aware of Justin Bieber songs, Justin Bieber albums, Justin Bieber tours, the epic Justin Beiber hair etc.

Love him or hate him, the kid is the real deal.

In this industry and in the age of social media scrutiny, oftentimes an artist’s complex personal life can overshadow what they are here to do: make music and entertain.

Justin Bieber Music

If you forget for just a minute the personal life and public struggles of Justin Bieber over the last few years, and just focus on the art, there is some great, legit stuff there. For example, currently Justin Bieber has 3 songs in the top 10 off of his latest release, “Purpose,” and they are all carefully crafted and slickly produced.

Teaming up with Diplo and Skrillex was not only a smart move artistically, but it also produced the first #1 Justin Bieber song of his career with “What do you Mean,” and for good reason – the song is really hooky, the video is really smart & grown up, and it shows off that not only can Justin Bieber sing, but he has got that X factor pouring out of him.

Justin Bieber Journey

The early Justin Bieber pop songs, such as his first big hit, “Baby,” were designed to connect with a very young demographic and appeal to young fans that could relate to a puppy love crush. People were more often interested in the character of Justin Bieber over his aforementioned early music.

He had a pretty meteoric rise to the top, and with that comes a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny. But people often forget that no matter how fast or crazy the rise is, if there is real talent underneath the highly focused marketing then there is always going to be the ability to come back, evolve and reintroduce oneself with music.

Justin Bieber’s Best Songs

Personally, I think that the recent Justin Bieber songs such as “Sorry,” and “What do you Mean” are his best work, and the songs with the most legs. They are good songs and produced in a way that will stand the test of time.

He is no longer strictly catering to the youth, but rather to the generations before and after which, in turn, gives his music much more credibility. And, as evidenced in his VMA performance, Justin Bieber knows how to stand on a stage and own everyone in that room. This coupled with catchy new songs makes him pretty much unstoppable.

Justin Bieber Final Thoughts

As a songwriter and artist myself I know first hand that you need to not only have great songs, but also the ability to perform those songs in a way that catches attention. I strongly believe that songs alone are not enough, and performance/entertaining abilities are not enough on their own either. You need to marry the two to be able to cross the threshold into that small inner circle of artists where when you see one frame of a video, or hear 4 bars of a song, you know exactly who they are; and even if you are not a fan, you know exactly why they are where they are.

To check out my recently released debut single, “Paris,” visit my website at http://www.ericachase.com

You can download “Paris” on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and more!

To check out my TuneCore featured music video, please click here:

Thank you for the support and belief. It means everything to me,

Cheers and always #chasedreams

EC

Chasers! As a singer/songwriter in the pop genre I am constantly studying the charts and seeing what the top pop songs are / who the top pop artists are, not only for my own inspiration, but also just to see where things are going. Pop music not only has a giant musical impact, but also a huge cultural impact in terms of pop fashion and pop tours. They sort of create an audio and visual narrative to our lives.

Since we are approaching the end of the year, I assembled my top 5 lists of best pop albums, top pop female singers (can be new in 2015, or just made a big splash this year), and top pop hits right now. Some of the albums are not purely pop in genre. However since they are played on pop and top 40 radio I considered them in my list.

Top 5 Best Pop Albums of 2015:

1. Madonna-Rebel Heart
2. Elle King-Love Stuff
3. James Bay- Chaos and the Calm
4. Adele-25,
5. Justin Bieber-Purpose

5 Top Pop Female Singers of 2015:

1. Adele
2. Taylor Swift
3. Ellie Goulding
4. Tori Kelly
5. Beyonce

5 Top pop hits this week / overall top 2015 pop songs:

1. Adele-Hello
2. Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars-Uptown Funk
3. The Weeknd-Can’t Feel My Face
4. Justin Bieber-Sorry
5. Ellie Goulding-Love Me Like You Do

My lists are a bit eclectic because, overall, 2015 was a pretty solid year for great pop music and introduced us to some new faces (Elle King, Tori Kelly, James Bay, The Weeknd). 2015 was also was a huge year to come back with a bang (Adele, Justin Bieber). I personally think that Uptown Funk wins for best song, best music video, and best pop moment on 2015. The production on the song is so slick, the arrangement is spot on, and it is one song that will be played for years to come. Uptown funk is really a song to get people on the dance floor and feeling good.

I can’t wait to watch how the Grammys play out this year with all of these talented top pop artists and music.

I also released my debut single, “Paris,” just recently here at the end of the year, which is now available to download and/or stream on every digital music portal. Just head on over to www.ericachase.com and you can hear and purchase the track, watch the official music video directed by Grammy nominated and CMA Award winner, Chris Hicky, and check out some exclusive behind the scenes footage of the music video shoot.

I am looking way forward to putting out more music in 2016 and seeing all of your faces on tour next year!!

Cheers,

EC

Hey there Chasers! Happy holidays to everyone!! Not only is it the season to celebrate with loved ones and take some much needed time to enjoy & reflect over the last year, it is also a time to get down with some new music releases and leave 2015 on a high note (see what I did there?!).

From Adele, to Justin Bieber, to One Direction, a lot of great pop music releases have managed to emerge in the late 4^th quarter and have really made a splash in the industry; not only in driving album sales through the roof (Hello Adele!), but also providing some killer new music singles that we can all use to make some pretty dope new music playlists. I am a huge fan of any music that has great hooks and great lyrics, and there seem to be no shortage of that in the latter half of the year – however I want to take a minute to talk about some new music news and new releases that have just come out, and my thoughts on a few of these new music singles and artists.

Coldplay just put out a killer new record, “A head Full of Dreams,” and it’s already creating a lot of buzz, especially since they have been picked as the Superbowl entertainment. They inspire me for a couple of different reasons: they write amazing songs, and they have evolved in both their new music mix and in their performance style. They are a stadium band, so it is no surprise that they are playing arguably the most important stadium show in the world.

Cam releases her debut album, “Untamed” in the country world this week that features the hit “Burning House.” I dig the fact that she is kind of returning to a more back to basics approach and I think her songs hit a chord (I’m unstoppable) in a lot of people.

Although it was released a couple of weeks back, I have to still give a nod to Adele’s new record “25.” There are some standout songs on it and her husky voice really just pulls them heartstrings (okay…literally every expression can be interpreted as music related, right?).

My favorite, hands down new music lyrics and new music singles come from the white horse this year: Chris Stapleton. His album “Traveler” should win big at the Grammy’s after his historic night at the CMA’s last month. When you listen to “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Fire Away,” you can tell that this dude can really sing and as a songwriter, his melodic and lyrical sensibilities are way doing it for me right now. I cannot get enough.

I would love to hear what you guys are listening to and which new pop music releases and new music this week are getting you all jazzed up for the holidays and the year ahead. And while we are on the subject of new music news, head on over to www.ericachase.com to check out my new single “Paris”. The song was released a couple of weeks ago amidst some crazy unplanned coincidental timing due to the unspeakable attacks in Paris, France on November 13, 2015. It was with a heavy heart and a lot of back and forth with my team, but we decided to put the single out and donate 100% of the proceeds from the music downloads to the French Red Cross through the end of this year (December 31, 2015).

“Paris” is out now and is available to download and stream on every digital music portal. The video, directed by Grammy nominated and CMA winner Chris Hicky (Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw) is also available now on my website and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiC48HzPcRM

Thank you all so much for the support and I wish you all health, happiness, and plenty of dreams to be chased in 2016.

Much love,

EC

Hello Chasers!! Every single day we are alive and well is a great day. Oftentimes though, we all sweat the small stuff and have bad days. Those frustrating and hard days make the amazing days shine even brighter. The ‘Paris’ video shoot was a bright and shiny day for me.

From writing the song in my apartment to recording it in 3 different states over many months to arriving on set to bring it to life was a day that I will never forget. I cannot even express my gratitude to everyone that made it possible; from the director Chris Hicky and the entire crew, to my personal team, it truly was a dream.

I spent so many years freaking out about stuff and living in the hurry up and wait that so many artists and people in the entertainment industry find themselves. I think it took me a long time to realize when you are freaking out and trying to force things, it is simply just not the right time. You may have 6/10 elements locked and loaded, but the other 4 are not quite there yet. It is hard to stay patient, but I’ve never felt more connected to the phrase, “you know when you know.”

My manager Dana always used to say that to me and I didn’t quite get it until I walked on set that day and didn’t feel stressed or anxious. I just felt calm, grateful and elated. The timing was right and it was such a fluid experience.

The treatment of using projected images behind, around, and through me really made the music come to life in a way I didn’t even realize was possible. Chris’ vision was right on target and he executed it in such a cool and creative way. I love that the visuals echo the sentiment in the lyrics and really compliment the music. I’ve been a huge fan of Chris’ other videos and I was just so happy he wanted to collaborate on this one with me. We are all so excited to release it and hear people’s different interpretations and which moments stick out to them. I have my favorites, but I’m curious to hear other people’s thoughts. That is the coolest part about putting out a song or any piece of art; once released, it no longer belongs to me. It is for the public to connect with and identify with. It was such an awesome day and I will think of it fondly always.