Tag: songs about depression

Song of the Day: Benched – MaryAiAnne & Me

After release of their well-received single, ‘Checkmate’, which is currently #1 on CHBN Radio’s The Playlist chart, MARYAIANNE & ME make a quick return with single ‘Benched’ out now across various music platforms.

‘BENCHED’ may be a bright, summer-ready pop bop, but it explores the hidden pressures many young people face. It tells the story of a girl juggling the demands of school studies, a part-time job, and the expectations of being part of a sports team she loves. From the outside, she seems capable and driven, but the repeated feeling of being benched — not chosen, not good enough — slowly begins to take its toll.

At her lowest point, she reaches out to the one person she trusts most — her mother — and begins the first step toward getting help. While she is fortunate to have someone to turn to, the song also acknowledges that many people suffer in silence, isolated and unsure where to find support. Professional help does exist, but it often comes at a cost that many cannot afford.

‘BENCHED’ captures that fragile moment when pressure threatens stability — the tipping point where something has to give — shining a light on the importance of support, understanding, and speaking up before the struggle becomes invisible.

MaryAiAnne & Me is a burgeoning collaboration between upcoming artist Me and seasoned music pro John Hewlett – whose impressive CV stems back to the 60s, with collaborations with iconic acts including The Beatles, T. Rex and Sparks. John also managed McGuinness Flint, Gallagher & Lyle, Sparks & The Incredible Shrinking Dickies and produced their album The Incredible Shrinking Dickies. The pair met when volunteering for a charity where John was impressed by Me’s storytelling and began working on the MaryAianne project with her early 2025.

MaryAianne & Me began releasing singles in October 2025, committing to a bold schedule of one track per week for a full year. The project aims to build a diverse catalogue of original songs that will ultimately be brought to life in live performances. Every release features Me’s own lyrics and arrangements, with AI production support courtesy of SUNO. United by a shared love of music, MaryAianne & Me embrace experimentation across styles while exploring relatable themes such as unrequited love, self-discovery, and personal growth.

‘BENCHED’ out now across various music platforms.

Connect with MaryAianne and Me via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581770475003
IG: https://www.instagram.com/maryaianne_and_me
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryaianne.and.me
YouTube: youtube.com/@itzafuni?si=RD5JVRPdkk1m4WRD

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Song of the Day: Filtered Reality – Ellie Burke

Liverpool-based singer/songwriter ELLIE BURKE‘s latest single, ‘Filtered Reality’ invites you into her world anxiety and insecurities caused by social media, documenting how it affected her negatively due to the filtered images and narratives that lead to unrealistic lifestyle and expectations.

Ellie Burke wrote ‘Filtered Reality’ as part of her university dissertation. She took an educated approach by researching and speaking to individuals who were struggling from mental health problems from cyberbullying and self-comparison to the filtered realities portrayed online.

“A girl spoke about how social media exasperated her eating disorder due to the negative content that was easily accessible. Another account discussed how cyberbullying ruined their mental health and well being. This is where my idea of ‘Filtered Reality’ came from,” says Ellie.

Have a listen to ‘Filtered Reality’ below…

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Alt R&B artist Deb Fan unveils her highly-anticipated debut EP ‘Gemini Moon’.

Hong Kong raised, Los Angeles-based artist/producer DEB FAN releases her highly anticipated debut EP ‘Gemini Moon’.

The haunting six-track offering is centralized around duality in two parts; first being the search for control both internally and externally while grieving a heart-wrenching breakup, and second being the duality of Fan from a cultural perspective, as she continues to embrace expressivity while unlearning the social standards that were ingrained deep in her mind as a young girl in Hong Kong.

Written in the solace of her Los Angeles bedroom, the 24-year-old’s lush, ethereal vocals juxtaposed against brash, grungy production intentionally paint the polarity of her natural being, furthering the narrative of the vulnerable experience of searching for oneself post-breakup. In Asian culture, the moon serves as a symbol of feminine power, and Fan’s striking debut EP is a nod to this new chapter.

“Growing up in a traditional Chinese household, I didn’t know what expressivity meant because of how my culture views my gender,” Fan explains. “Moving to America was a huge step in understanding the essence of being a woman. I’ve learned to embrace the power of being hard and soft at the same time. This is captured in Gemini Moon. Because of my innate duality, this project was written from a place that is half realistic, and half delusion, Gemini Moon taking into account all perspectives.”

‘Gemini Moon’ is constructed around cinematic themes, each track detailing a specific feeling throughout her mourning process while listeners immerse themselves deeper into Fan’s world. From numbness (‘Run My Mind’), to lust and love (‘Rules’), depression (‘Pull My Hair’), delusion (‘Thru & Thru’), anger (‘Three Nights’), and passion (‘Rules – Acoustic Version’), ‘Gemini Moon’ tries to answer the unanswerable questions such as ‘why am I here,’ ‘why do I do this,’ and ‘what is my purpose here.’

In the early stages of her artist career, Fan has been championed by an impressive list of music tastemakers, including Billboard, Lyrical Lemonade, MTV, Earmilk and Early Rising to name a few. She has landed placements on Spotify Editorial Playlists including All New Indie, Ethereal, .ORG, Poses, Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds: R&B, Fresh Finds: Indie, Mood., Radar: Hong Kong, Simmering, +852 Rising as well as over 20 New Music Friday playlists.

Deb Fan’s debut EP Gemini Moon solidifies her position as the must-watch artist of 2023. Have a listen below…

Must Listens: Thru & Thru, Rules, Run My Mind, Three Nights

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OUT TODAY: Nino SLG Drops Track, ‘What’s Left’ + Video, Ahead Of EP, ‘Mirror Story.’

South-London’s rap wunderkind NINO SLG kicks off 2023 with the announcement of his forthcoming EP ‘Mirror Story’ – slated for release on 10th March. The announcement arrives today with ‘What’s Left’, Nino’s introspective, deeply-felt new single and video.

‘What’s Left’ sees Nino collaborate with famed producer Kyle Evans (Dave’s We’re All Alone In This Together) for this emotive track that sees Nino delve into his battles with mental health, and discuss how he sought solace in the local youth clubs that helped him channel his energies into honing his craft. Split into two sections, the second half of the single is woven with tension as Nino grapples with thoughts on materialism and lust before coming to a sombre conclusion that ‘I don’t know what’s left no more’. The single is accompanied with a stripped-back video directed by Spike Silverton that reflects the duality of the single, finding Nino in his bedroom performing the single to his mirror image.

Speaking on the Mirror Story announcement, Nino said –

“My new EP is a story about the person I can see in the mirror. It’s my most vulnerable project to date, and I want people to see this side of me. Lyrically I’ve touched on materialism and everyday possessions, concepts and distractions to try and show how these steer people away from conquering the real problem which is usually themselves. Musically, I’ve reflected the contrasting emotions in the lyrics by switching up the production as you move through the project. Mirror Story is about exploring myself and my emotions, in the hope that there might be other people out there who are feeling the same – I hope that my EP makes them feel understood“

The five-track EP sees Nino reflect on the person he is and the man he is becoming. The project sees Nino climb to new heights with lyrics touching on mental health, anxiety, insecurities, materialism and life growing up in inner-city London, set to Nino’s trademark keys and a paired-back production which intertwine elements of drill, rich instrumentation including cello and 90s hip hop beats.

Watch the heartfelt video for ‘What’s Left below…

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    Album Interview: Don’t Come In Here – Oloff

    Ever since OLOFF graced this blog with his album, ‘Life’s Got You Riveted’, which was placed at #6 on New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2016 list, I’ve been so mesmerised how this Bristolian artist experiments with different genres without fear. So I’m absolutely pleased to have a chat with him about his album ‘Don’t Come In Here’. So sit back and have a read as this convo this an absolute belter. Enjoy!

    NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?

    O: You’re welcome. 2021 has been kind of crazy, I’ve released 2 albums and gone through a breakup. I have a 3rd album and a book on the way. I’m keeping extremely busy, time is passing by quite slowly.

    NLM You released your album, ‘Don’t Come In Here’ back in March. What is the public perception on the project so far?

    O: I haven’t done enough to promote it so I don’t know. I’ve temporarily given up on promoting music because I don’t have the time or the money for it, so right now I’m focusing on building up a catalogue and not paying any attention to the numbers at all. Then when I have some leverage I will have loads of songs already released.

    NLM: How would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?

    O: Electronic experimental hip-hop. Drugs.

    NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?

    O: I had a bad acid trip a couple of years ago and this album was kind of the culmination of my efforts to get over the things I saw on that trip. It was also about being stuck in a room during lockdown, the ups and downs of my relationship, and at times also the fun/humour of living such a life and experimenting with weird substances. In the end the theme is about trust I suppose, not really being able to ever fully trust people but having to do so for your own sanity.

    NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?

    O: Parsons and Be Yourself. I think Parsons is the best sounding song I’ve made and I think Be Yourself is the most meaningful.

    NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your album?

    O: Do whatever you can to be happy, stay true to yourself, be wary, get outside as much as you can.



    NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?

    O: Good question. I think Kevin Gates would be interesting, because it would be such a different sound for him, but some of the themes are kind of similar (love, trust issues, substance abuse etc.) Maybe a verse on I Don’t Wanna Know.

    NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?

    O: Yeah, shortly after this I released Oak Tree which I think is a masterpiece. I also have a project called Sameways coming out in the next few months. And a self-help book, which I think is going to be really good and will help a lot of people with their depression. I’m also regularly releasing singles and videos on my YouTube channel.O

    NLM: How can potential fans find you?

    O: @oloffmusic on Instagram, Oloff on spotify or YouTube.com/OloffMusic

    NLM: Finally, any special shout outs to those involved in the production of ‘Don’t Come Back Here’?

    O: Just me. So, hang in there Oloff! You big bald c**t.

    Don’t Come Back Here is now out

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