Madelyn Grant breaks her chrysalis with her debut EP “Purpose”
Why should I stick around?
“Changes”
With my feet on the ground
All I wanna do is fly, yeah
Why should I stick around?
With my feet on the ground
When all I wanna do is fly away
Detroit singer-songwriter Madelyn Grant released her debut EP “Purpose” on March 15th.
In the movie “Rent”, characters wonder how we could measure up a year. In “Purpose”, Madelyn Grant asks herself how to measure happiness and contendtedness (pleasure). She refuses to let anyone decide it for her as others do (“Let me take one guess You base it off success”), and she seems to have found an answer on her own:
“Happiness and pleasure
Should be something you feel
(…) When you decide To let fear”.
She knows what success truly is. Madelyn Grant has been expressing her musical talent for nearly a decade now. Thanks to outstanding collaborations with famous EDM artists, such as Odesza and FKJ, she made a name for herself. She even went on a national tour with electronic artist Emancipator.
However, success doesn’t define the inner you. When she went home after this big tour, she needed to figure out what was next for her.
Finding out who you are
Discovering her voice and her universe became her whole purpose. The first track of her EP is the story of her quest. She did it to know herself better, and to find pleasure and satisfaction in her own accomplishments. Therefore, the acts of moving on or going somewhere else are recurrent themes on this EP. She’s growing up, evolving into something else:
“Trying to find the reasons Why I should stay All I wanna do is leave” (“Reasons”)
“Why should I stick around? With my feet on the ground When all I wanna do is fly away” (“Reasons”)
“Told myself I’d never settle down” (“Can’t Get Out”)
Breaking free of a cocoon
The neo-soul artist wants to do her own experiences and leave her comfort zone. She used to stay in her cocoon for a few years, but now it’s for her to take flight. Madelyn Grant says herself this EP is all about metamorphoses and changes that she went through.
Madelyn Grant has grown up in a cocoon that doesn’t fit her anymore. This metaphor seems relevant with the presence of colorful butterflies on the visuals of this project. They’re even stuck to her skin as if they’re part of her. The background color of the promotional photos makes them stand out. This element is important to her.
She wrote the struggles she faced during the process: “I can’t get out, I’m just breaking down (…) I tried to escape this reality, it’s haunting”. This image reminds us of a caterpillar trying to break its chrysalis at any cost.
This message is universal: most of us feel weird or nervous about a change. Our thoughts divide between the desire to do it, the fear of failing or doing it wrong. However, we must find the courage in ourselves to excel.
“I hope that these songs resonate with you and bring you a sense of hope and comfort- whether it’s the cathartic process of sitting with and enjoying the tunes – or whether they connect with you a bit deeper” shares Madelyn Grant on her Instagram post.
Striving to reivent yourself
Madelyn Grant says her biggest inspirations are Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Marvin Gaye. Let’s add her “Reasons” track also makes us think of the catchy rhythmic of the mythical “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson.
These great artists share one thing in common: they have constantly reinvented and challenged themselves. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this butterfly!
