Drawing us in with warm vocalizations, tapping into a soulful and almost meditative energy, Stephanie Happening opens Breathing Bruised with the self-realized lyrics, “I did what they said to survive, learnt silence like breath, hid the storm in my chest…”
The opus, which was aptly released on the Winter Solstice, expands with a high emotional quotient to share a rhythmic documentation of survival. We appreciate the doo-wop nuances that punctuate the story, and Stephanie Happening‘s ability to showcase a genre expansive skillset when it comes to song creation.
Once again, we learn that the song translates Stephanie Happening‘s lived experience into a pulse of radical presence. The song is built on the raw narrative that has been established by the visionary artist previously – exploring trauma, resilience and collective authorship.
This time, it documents a transition from injury to awareness, and from trauma to presence. We deeply appreciate the delivery of the vocals, the way that the vocals intertwine, bringing to life a high octane and passionate energy.
The middle eight is stripped-back before a choral rebuild that reminds us of iconic artists like Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz, Alicia Keys and Bruno Mars. The song feels like a testimony rather than confession, and centres notions of survival as evidence, not spectacle.
As with Stephanie Happening‘s wider discography, the story of Breathing Bruised focuses on healing. We also learn that the song comes with a cinematic vertical visual, which premieres on January 1st!
For some background, Stephanie Happening is a London-based alt-pop artist living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Stephanie’s work is a fused exploration of identity, resilience and survival.
We always appreciate the intentional depth that manifests, and have added Breathing Bruised to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream Stephanie Happening‘s exquisite growing discography!