Kane Brown on Battling Depression in the Spotlight: ‘There’s No Off-Time’
Though Kane Brown hasn't spoken out much about his challenges with mental health, the singer says it's important to him to be open about that aspect of his life, especially if hearing his story helps fans going through their own battles with depression and anxiety.
That's part of the reason why Brown was so excited to release his duet with Florida-based pop producer and songwriter, Blackbear. Called "Memory," that song pairs a heady electronic beat with self-conscious and anxiety-addled lyrics about living life too fast, and the fallout that will inevitably come from poor choices.
"Am I the only one that's coming unglued? / Emotions building up, they start to run you / Bottles on the shelf I'm 'bout to run through / Doing everything I wish that I can undo / I'm not myself and why won't no one help? / I know this can't be healthy so I'm looking for a way out..." Brown sings in his verse of the song.
Fame adds an extra complication to his experience with depression and anxiety, Brown explains in an interview on Apple Music's Today's Country Radio.
"It's hard for an artist to go through depression because for us, we have to be on our A game 24/7," he reflects. "If we're out pumping gas and a fan comes up, and I'm just having one of those bad days, I have to put on a smile and there's no off time.
"If you have a bad day, they're gonna leave and be like, 'Oh, Kane Brown's a d---,'" he adds, going on to say that releasing "Memory" was a way for him to connect with fans who might be experiencing similar struggles.
"Especially just saying for everybody that goes through depression or anxiety, 'You're not alone. There's many people out there. You just got to find them and talk to them,'" he continues. "That was my way of saying, 'I go through it as well. You're not alone in the world.'"