Braiding, by definition, means weaving various materials together. Usually, this term is used in relation to hair. Sam Casey’s newest single, “Good Fight,” expertly braids two separate, yet overlapping themes together over a poppy beat and a contagious chorus. The powerhouse anthem tackles the idea of maintaining your mental health and navigating an, at times, brutal and demanding music industry.
Check it out on YouTube here:
Casey’s newest single hightails the release of her August single, “New Company,” an exploration into a relationship, errrrr…. situationship where one party hoped to take the fling to the next level. “Good Fight” dives into the same honest space of self-reflection.
“My role as an artist, which is to say the difficult things and be honest about the unattractive qualities in oneself, and, in turn, this may slowly minimize the fears of my listener's self-perceived flaws. If we can be honest about our identity and even allow ourselves to feel shame about certain aspects of our own beings, then we can accept that shame for what it is and move on. We can be more accepting of ourselves and others,” Casey shared.
Casey mentioned one near-paralyzing fear present in her life is the metaphor of folding into a piece of paper whilst under immense pressure. Internal pressure and pressure from both the music industry and the uncertainty of her music’s reception. This metaphor resonates with Casey so much so that she admitted the original title of the single was “Fold.”
“And I fold like I might be made of paper,
I’ve been tearing myself into pieces lately.
I’m blank when I’m on my own
cause I don’t know how to stand up.
When I’m sipping on a downside,
I put up a good fight.”
Yet, while the title may have changed, the metaphor remains intact. Casey’s calls to her inner strength overlay the muted, melodious guitar. Her lyrics evoke the trying times when she must trudge through that negativity and come out stronger, ready to tackle difficult situations when life throws them.
“Most of all, this song helped me realize that I will fall, lose, be rejected, or have a crazy episode from time to time regardless of how hard I fight the feelings and, if I do fall, then accept it, move on, sweep it under the rug and don’t look back.”
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0Q43spktK9TVsZOhHsfmi0
Accompanied by a scintillating music video, “Good Fight” is a powerhouse, pop, feminist manifesto toward self-acceptance and against harsh standards perpetuated by the male-dominated industry.
“The hair and makeup for this video were supposed to mirror the ‘ideal beauty standard’ of the current people in power in the entertainment industry, which is mainly older men who would have grown up with the classic Hollywood bombshells such as Marilyn Monroe being their idea of beauty,” Casey said.
