We were in love with Tessa Violet when we recently caught her opening up for Cavetown in Toronto, and her new single, “BREAKDOWN,” only makes us fall harder. On first listen this song comes across as a standard dance-able radio gem, but by the second go-around it becomes clear that this track is deeper than your usual pop fare.
The artist lets us inside her head within the first verse: “I cried in line waiting for my turn/ And I lied to my mom, I guess I never learn/ And everyday I feel the same, feel like I’m going insane/ My only friend I have is my phone/ and I hate the taste of being alone.” It’s heartbreaking and yet the instrumental is so infectious that you can’t help but bop along. But that’s exactly the point, because by the chorus Tessa is instructing us to dance with her, let go, and allow ourselves to feel our emotions to the fullest without judgment: “So throw your hands up if you’re feeling it too/ We’re getting banged up tryna run from the truth/ For all the kicking and screaming and fighting the feeling of working it through.”
With everything that has gone on over the past few years (and continues to happen), it’s necessary to have a means of letting go and expressing ourselves. For so long we’ve been told to “grin and bear it” when we experience grief, depression, or anxiety, but as a society we’re finally coming to the conclusion that those methods of coping aren’t always the healthiest or most productive. That’s why this song is so great: it gives its listener permission to literally break down and assures us that it’s OK to not be OK.
You can listen here:
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5JU0ZOKGnE&t=75s
You can listen to “BREAKDOWN” on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Keep up with Tessa Violet: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Website
