Sometimes the most difficult battles can be the ones we have with ourselves. On the stirring new single from London-born singer-songwriter, Samuel Jack, he recounts his own struggles with his mental health. “In My Head” is a rousing, pop ballad that finds him candidly detailing his emotional angst and despair, something that plagued him for years, as he explains.
“For me, I struggled with depression and anxiety – and in my eyes, despite having a history of mental health issues in my family – I’m certain my issues were born through my situation and subsequently has come to affect every aspect of my life. Romantic relationships, professional ones, it really took hold of me”.
Lyrically, the song is a powerful reminder that people can spend their lives silently trying to hold back the black tide. (“I’m fighting with the shadows every day”). For Jack, that meant reaching a point where even alcohol failed to numb the pain, “I’m at the bottom of the bottle / And there’s nothing left to wash it down.”
Initially, Jack’s bruised and weary vocals are framed around simple piano chords before giving way to a more polished, contemporary pop sound. Jack weaves richly rewarding melodies from his pain without losing any of the solemnity of the words. With a gospel choir joining him a the halfway point, he sends the song skywards, leaving a feeling of indelible hope. He may be a way off the summit, but at the very least, he has made basecamp ready for the long climb to recovery.
With “In My Head”, Jack bravely lays bare his personal demons in the hope that others can find strength and solidarity in his struggle. It’s a vital, empowering anthem from a brave and accomplished artist.