Rage & Sorrow is the second extended play by American musician Breland. Released on June 19, 2020 for Juneteenth. The EP touches on the then ongoing George Floyd protests, as well as structural racism and repressed emotions.[1]
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| Released | June 19, 2020 | |||
| Length | 4:53 | |||
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Background and composition
editThe day after the murder of George Floyd, Breland wrote the song "The Message".[2] Rage & Sorrow was released on Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery, amid the George Floyd protests. In an Instagram post, Breland stated
Many of us have been oscillating between inspiration and desperation over the past few weeks, and I haven’t always known what to do or say about it. Inside me at any given moment lie two distinct emotions: Rage & Sorrow. We focus a lot on the rage because it makes us feel powerful, but without acknowledging the sorrow, sometimes we end up only hurting ourselves. It is okay to feel both of these emotions, and to feel them deeply. The two songs I’m dropping tonight speak to my journey toward this emotional balance, and I hope everyone who listens finds similar peace. Happy Juneteenth.[3]
Breland stated in an interview with Billboard that Rage & Sorrow "felt really good to put out", and that he wanted show both the rage and sorrow of the energy of the George Floyd protests, and show the importance of balance.[4]
The EP consists of three tracks, "Intro", "A Message", and "Real Men Don't Cry". "Intro" is a short, mainly spoken word track, in which Breland talks about the history of racism in the United States.[3] "A Message" is a one minute rap song "filled with aggression" with a "bare-knuckle" beat.[5] The song discusses the George Floyd protests[3] and encourages fans to advocate for change,[6] and has been described to be a "call to do better" and "a musical 'I told you so'".[5] Both "Intro" and "A Message" sample the song Tobacco Road.[7] The final song, "Real Men Don't Cry" is a piano ballad with falsetto vocals[5] and R&B influences[6] about repressed emotions and masculinity[3] in the context of the George Floyd protests.[6] It was written prior to the George Floyd protests.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 0:37 |
| 2. | "The Message" | 1:11 |
| 3. | "Real Men Don't Cry" | 3:05 |
| Total length: | 4:53 | |
References
edit- ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (2020-06-19). "Country Upstart Breland Releases 'Rage & Sorrow' EP for Juneteenth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ Mosley, Tonya; Paris, Francesca (2020-08-06). "You Can't Put Breland In A Box. Don't Touch His Truck, Either". WBUR. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ a b c d Breland (musician) [@breland] (2020-06-19). "Many of us have been oscillating between inspiration and desperation over the past few weeks, and I haven't always known what to do or say about it. Inside me at any given moment lie two distinct emotions: Rage & Sorrow. We focus a lot on the rage because it makes us feel powerful, but without acknowledging the sorrow, sometimes we end up only hurting ourselves. It is okay to feel both of these emotions, and to feel them deeply. The two songs I'm dropping tonight speak to my journey toward this emotional balance, and I hope everyone who listens finds similar peace. Happy Juneteenth" – via Instagram.
- ^ "Breland on His Ambitions as a 'Cross Country' Artist: 'I'm Trying to Be a Cultural Bridge'". Billboard. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ a b c Parton, Chris (2020-06-19). "Breland Celebrates Juneteenth With 'Rage & Sorrow'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ a b c Stefano, Angela. "LISTEN: Breland's 'Real Men Don't Cry' Expresses 'Rage & Sorrow' Over Racial Injustice". Taste of Country. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ^ Turner, Rianna. "Genre-bending Artist Breland Emerges As A New Voice In Music For The Black Lives Matter Movement". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-01-28.