Over 300 million people around the world are struggling with depression. Having been one of them, I can honestly say that “Battle,” the new single by Toronto-based artist Delyn Grey, is a song that I can completely relate to. Blunt, honest, and painfully accurate, the track is the perfect summary of an all-consuming state of mind that is difficult to shake, hard to explain, and exasperating to live with. Indeed, when depression overtakes your life, every day feels like a battle, and you’re not always sure you’re going to win. This is why visibility and representation matter, and I am grateful that Grey is doing her part in making sure it exists.
The twenty-year-old artist is open about the fact that “Battle” was inspired by a bout of depression she experienced when she was seventeen. “I chose to take advantage of it, and what was trying to break me,” explains Grey. “‘Battle’, among other tracks, is the product of my resistance, acceptance, and fight during that time. Vocalizing my frustration, fear, and anger is what eventually got me through it." From her lyrics to her music to the set in her video, Grey has captured the feeling of powerlessness that often stems from the illness, but she did it with intention, boldness, and unapologetic rawness.
“Battle,” however, is a very well arranged, recorded, and performed song. Grey has a great amount of control over her vocals — smoothly switching between notes, while maintaining a significant amount of power in her delivery. Although depression is often characterized by the loss of control, Grey takes it back in this performance, making sure that the audience is well aware of her inner strength. At the very least, her composed, deliberate, and mindfully styled music video gives me that impression. And then there’s the matter of the melody, which is purposefully moody, dramatic, and very reserved — until it isn’t.
Grey wants “to make music that's fearless.” And she most certainly does. “I put everything I have into it, man. It's the real stuff,” states the musician. Her team seems to share her work ethic, which is comprised of Joel Visentin on piano and keyboards, Kyle Teixeira on electric and synth bass, Chad Davis on drums and percussion, and Justin Abedin on guitars. Abedin is also the track’s co-producer. His advice, "Stop trying and just let it flow!" gave Grey “ten songs-worth of things to say.” And, so her debut EP, Disappointment Girl, is set to drop in the next few months. Check out more from the talented and rising artist here.
Note* Album provided for objective review by our partners.