Recommended Tracks: “The Older You Get,” “Lose Me Like You Mean It,” “You Let Me Down”
Artists You Might Like: Thomas Day, Bradley Simpson, Tate McRae
When you lose something you love so much, it’s incredibly hard to come back from it. From the “has beens” to the “what ifs,” you’re often left wondering what you could’ve done differently to go back in time and salvage what you loved, or in Daniel Seavey’s case, build something new. After being forced to dismantle the beloved boy band Why Don’t We in 2020 due to a lawsuit from their former management, the 25-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist aims to move forward as a solo artist with his debut solo album, Second Wind. Just a little over a week after the band lost the rights to the group name in February 2025, Seavey opens up to his fans about his personal struggles and his hopes for what the future holds in this heart-filled debut.
The titular track and album opener “Second Wind” is infectious, upbeat and encapsulates a sun-kissed spring season. The track sees Seavey find resilience and a sense of renewal after losing something or someone he cared for, ultimately finding that “second wind” to keep going. With Seavey’s voice bubbling to the surface, he sings, “You try to cast me away, but you know I’ll come back again / I was lost and afraid, but you gave me a second wind.” Hearing the power and emphasis on hope in his voice, you’re captivated by Seavey’s inability to give up, making you too want to keep on keeping on.
But the natural passage of time isn’t easy for anyone, not even the ones who put on a brave face. On fan-favorite ”The Older You Get,” Seavey realizes how fast life goes by — from friends drifting apart, family dynamics changing and childhood moments becoming long-lost memories — singing that he “start[s] to wish [he] could’ve been 16 forever.” He continues, singing, “‘Cause you know your favorite band ain’t getting back together / And the nights you don’t remember are the nights that you’ll never forget / Guess that’s what happens the older you get.” Seavey mentions his father getting older and slowing down, as well as his mother’s cancer diagnosis that forced him to grow up and ultimately, change.
With change, comes loss. Seavey plays with multi-faceted sides of love and heartbreak, trying to hold onto a love that was powerful but ultimately loses it completely on the next two tracks. On “Lose Me Like You Mean It,” he finds himself struggling with the fact that his relationship is ending, asking his ex to end things so the pain of the breakup will feel real (“Want you to f*** me up, don’t let me go without a good goodbye”). On the playful yet melancholic “Blondes,” Seavey uses slow, building guitar and backing synths to articulate the pain of a blonde woman walking away from what they have without looking back. That is, before he redefines love for himself on “Your Light.”
But Seavey realizes moving on isn’t easy when you are constantly reminded of that loss on “Sleeping With The Lights On,” where he is both haunted and emotional for what he used to have. The song captures a warm summer night filled with nostalgia and drenched with heartbreak. Seavey is forced to deal with a lingering agony that he cannot shake, and the literal things she left behind are what makes it hard to forget (“empty dresser drawer,” “sheets that still smell like you” and “pistachio perfume”). With a rattling fear, deep loneliness and an inability to truly let go, Seavey can’t move on to that “second wind,” caught between hope and the harsh reality he faces.
Seavey is shaken and leaves all his inhibitions toward the album’s second half, from pain to heartbreak and utter loss. On the R&B-inspired track “You Let Me Down,” his voice takes center stage, and nothing else matters, but he understands that the pain he’s experiencing is hard to accept. This raw, emotional song sees Seavey grappling with being betrayed and disappointed by someone he loves (“You let me fall into your arms but it was a lie”). He deals with this passage of time because he’s forced to come to terms with the fact that someone he loved and trusted has changed.
While you can feel his betrayal and hurt — bordering on anger — on “You Let Me Down,” Seavey strips away all production and deals with a loss that he’s never felt before in a harsh way on the piano ballad “If I Ever Get To Heaven.” Here, Seavey is forced to cope with the loss of Australian social media influencer and friend Corey La Barrie, who died in a car crash on May 10, 2020. As Seavey’s vocals shake with vulnerability, you can hear the heartbreak pour out of him — a loss that undoubtedly changes someone forever. He sings, “But if I ever get to Heaven…You know I got a long list of questions / like how do you make a snowflake? / Are you angry when the earth quakes? … And why can’t you stop a car from crashing?” The song, which is arguably the saddest song on the album, borrows its chorus from Tenille Townes‘ song “Jersey on the Wall (I’m Just Asking),” which is a tribute to a group of students killed in a car crash.
As the final notes ring on his debut, Seavey realizes that no matter how hard you try or how much time or effort you invest in someone, love can fade and run its course. On “Other People,” he learns to relinquish control and accept that not everything is meant to be. Despite trying to cling to what he’s lost, Seavey faces his struggles with dignity, strength and resilience on the 12-track project, ultimately accepting that “you know it’s over when it’s over.” In the end, he must deal with the painful realization that, despite all efforts, you need to move on to find that “second wind.”
To see Seavey on the Second Wind World Tour, which begins on March 18 and concludes on June 17, you can purchase tickets here.
Keep up with Daniel Seavey: Instagram // Spotify // X // Facebook // Website
