Recommended Tracks: “Good Grief,” “Who Am I,” “Never Too Late”
Artists You Might Like: Caleb Hearn, Dylan Conrique, Alex Sampson
With little life moments come lessons, moments of pure bliss and unforgettable memories. Jenna Raine turns everyday lessons into the kind of music that makes you want to sing your heart out — and with the windows down, too. After building her brand through her sentimental and often nostalgic storytelling across various social media platforms — particularly TikTok — Raine’s natural and emotional songwriting capabilities make falling on your face and messing up relatable when it feels like no one’s watching. Whether it’s growing as a person or growing within your romantic relationship, Raine has done it all. Now, on her latest EP, Only Started Growing, she’s proving that wistful dreaming is okay, despite what others say.
The hit song and embodiment of empowerment, “Roses,” serves as the EP’s opener, marking one of the first times we really hear Raine finally finding her spirit. From the heartfelt ballad “see you later (ten years)” to a track dedicated to overthinkers, “Hypothetically,” Raine has become a master when it comes to the ramifications of a romantic relationship. As a result, the EP, as well as the EP opener, sees her letting go of all those inhibitions to keep herself from dampening her hope or, as she puts it, “raining on her parade.” The song, “Roses,” which also includes the EP title, features handclaps and guitar strumming, but she finds her self-assurance, singing, “Don’t go killing all my roses, ‘cause I’ve only started growing / Don’t go rain on my parade / I’m just tryna have a good day.”
While agonizing pain can sometimes prevent you from ever moving on, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a brighter side at the other end of the tunnel. On the lead single “Good Grief,” Raine reminds us that the pain, with time, will pass and that we’ll come out stronger and happier on the other side. With soft guitar strumming that builds into the chorus, Raine does actually come out on the other end, alluding to the emotional turmoil of a breakup. For most, there’s sadness, anger and a sense of loss, but she’s reminded that she got what she needed (“And you’ll realize when it’s really over and done / This feeling’s the prettiest kind of pain”). She explains that “good grief” is the kind of pain you don’t appreciate until after the person is gone.
This idea of feeling completely lost as your relationship crumbles becomes the central theme of the following track, “Hitch Hiking,” returning us to the emotional ballads that began her career. The song title and premise may be a nod to the first verse of “Good Grief,” where she mentions those bottled-up emotions and how she and her partner “can’t see the wood for the trees.” Raine talks about hoping she’ll make it home to Texas after feeling as though her relationship was “driving reckless,” even as she “looked at [them] with diamonds in [her] eyes.” It’s a hauntingly sad yet beautiful ballad that plays on the idea that the person you once loved can so easily become a stranger — someone you merely ask, “how are you?” and respond with, “I’m fine.”
But no one said it was easy to look back on everything you’ve lost and try to reconcile the past with the present — a concept she explores on the next two tracks. There is nothing but questions for Raine on “Who Am I,” a song filled with questions about identity, change and uncertainty. She sings, “The girl I used to be in 2017 / Honestly, I hardly recognize / Who am I to say that you’re the one to blame? / Everybody changes, God knows that we have,” as the guitar plucking gradually builds into a euphoric and symbolic sound. She learns that both she and someone she loved have now grown up, and as a result, she further realizes that the passage of time is changing on “21,” particularly as she leaves her teenage years. Coming to terms with the fact that she doesn’t need to take entering true “adulthood” so seriously, Raine realizes the person she is now is not the person she used to be eight years ago. But who is?
Raine strips away the pain, frustration and an ever-evolving sense that she’s growing up too quickly on “Never Too Late” — the final track that leaves you hopeful. Despite worries over what it means to become an adult and leave your youth behind, the hardest thing for Raine to realize is that it’s never too late — to start over, to heal, to dream again, to chase what you want and that “you’ve got so much living left.” Ultimately, Raine must learn the hardest lesson: Even when it’s as if the clock has run out, life moments turn into lessons, but it’s okay because, like Raine, the best is yet to come.
Keep up with Jenna Raine: Instagram // Spotify // X // TikTok // Facebook // YouTube // Website
