Luna Keller – If I Was No More (2024)
With her penchant for intimate connection through moving melodies, Luna Keller is one of the few artists who have you feel their music not just listening to it. Raw honesty and originality bound by sophisticated elegance, the Germany-based musician taps into the darker, deeper, uglier side of life, yet slices through the pain with a light of hopefulness. Over the past few months, Keller has released several singles leading to her upcoming album Ocean Inside Of Me, each tackling a speck of the overarching concept – living with depression and awareness of mental health difficulties.
Previous singles ‘Invisible Wars’, ‘Patterns’, ‘Ocean Inside Of Me’ and ‘Swallow The Sea’ each captured the core of existing within a cocoon of despair, darkness and isolation; however, ‘If I Was No More’ shines light on potentially the most complex, intricate and desperate aspect of depression. Following ‘Swallow The Sea’ where Keller explored one’s altered perception of reality, ‘If I Was No More’ plunges into the terrifying realm of, dare I say it, suicidal thoughts.
Already dripping with feelings of shame which contribute to the tumultuous experience of depression, suicide is considered the darkest, deepest pit of the fall. Whispers of suicidal thoughts evoke a sense of guilt, concern and “beyond help” conclusions amidst “normal” people; compound this with a world of self-loathing and one can never imagine how it affects the “abnormal depressed” person.
Similar to ‘Ocean Inside Of Me’, ‘If I Was No More’ is a softer ballad leaning toward the folk genre; however, ‘If I Was No More’ is more intricate regarding the theme and sound. Featuring musicians Ben Greenberg (guitar) and Harley Eblen (strings), the new single is a skin-chilling rush of music. Interestingly, while the melody is haunting with Keller’s tremulous vocals, it is simultaneously a gentle ballad made to calm your soul. I find this intriguing as it highlights the delicate juxtaposition of living in a world of pain but finding sincere enlightenment in hitting “rock bottom”. It is a slice of empowerment tapping through the bubble drawing you away from fatalistic to realistic in a breakthrough moment. Keller shares:
“Putting words into what I was feeling was a big step for me in my mental health journey and ‘If I Was No More’ helped me see myself and realise that I needed help. In the end, despite being a heavy song it is a declaration that I want to live despite the weight on me…”
In addition to the single, Luna Keller released an official music video for ‘If I Was No More’. You can view it below or on her YouTube channel.
Find out more about Luna Keller on her official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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