This is a letter to those struggling with mental health. Encouraging the listener to hang-on with me through the music. I’ve really connected since childhood to songs that made my big emotions feel ok and like someone else was out there feeling it too. Having someone to share in the intensity made it a little easier to carry. Being able to express disappointment or guilt or fears through singing really makes me feel seen because I know someone out there can relate.
In the darkest times it can feel hard to reach out to people closest to you because it can seem like a burden. Or you don’t want their image of you to shift. This is why it can be so important to have the suicide hotline and this song is kind of my version of having something anonymous for people to go to and listen and feel seen. Hang on to tonight with me. I know the feeling of deep depression and how it can make the light at the end of the tunnel invisible, but if you make it through to the morning you can gain a new perspective. The message is serious but I like the idea of the chorus being something you can jam to, to bring a little lightness in, and keep you singing along.. I imagine a 90s feel to the chorus. The soulful sadness but memorable pop hook of Faith Evans in “I’ll Be Missing You”. Britney Spears’ “Lucky” is also an inspiration and the chorus contains a shout out to “baby one more time” leaning into the nostalgia of emotional 90s pop. Let’s cheers “to tonight” and take this walk with mental health one step at a time, you’re not alone.