It must be so awesome to be a recording artist. You’re the object of so many people’s affections. You’re a star standing under the spotlight, living your dreams. You’re an entertainer in a crowded room, feeling so alone.
That’s not how it goes for everyone, but it’s certainly something every entertainer can relate to, and it’s something Juno Award winner Delaney Jane opens up about in her real-talk-turned-dance-pop single “Psycho.” It opens with “Warning,” a heartfelt bit of spoken word about the dangerous cycle of alcohol and drug use that helps some more introverted and uncomfortable stars get through big public moments.
We watch in the music video as Jane takes a train alone, headphones in ears, wondering how she got to the place she’s in now. Halfway through the song, we get to the catchy melodic movement, and while the energy certainly perks up, the singer still wonders what happened to the bright-eyed, dreaming girl of her youth.
“This two-part piece from my album is about facing your humanity,” Jane tells Billboard Dance. “When you’re young and trying to figure out who you are, it’s easy to get lost inside your head. I spent a lot of my life running away from reality rather than accepting who I was. To face your humanity means facing everything you hate about yourself — your flaws and insecurities, your past mistakes, your weaknesses, your scars — and discovering that, to be imperfect is to be human. ‘Warning’ and ‘Psycho’ are very personal and painful moment’s from my life that I turned into art. For me, it means looking my demons in the eye and saying, “Hey, I see you. You can stay, but you can’t control my life anymore.”
It’s a poignant bit of honesty that goes down sweeter with a spoonful of sugar. “Psycho” is out now on Dirty Pretty Things, but you can watch the music video below before it hits YouTube, exclusively on Billboard Dance.
