Erin Rae shines again on breathtakingly powerful new song "Bad Mind"

Erin Rae has always been mesmerising, but on her newest effort she is even more so than ever. Her vocal delivery is spellbinding as she speaks openly and with devastating honesty of her experiences growing up with the deep fear of her sexuality that came to eclipse her teenage years. Her fear made her want to try and rid herself of those feelings which she was taught to be "wrong", lamenting "I don't wanna have a bad mind" and seemingly asking for forgiveness when she "talks to God out loud".

Speaking of the track's meaning, Rae explains "'Bad Mind' is about growing up in Tennessee in the 90s and early 2000s, which was a tough time and place for a girl to be learning about her own sexuality. A really significant event in my childhood occurred in 1996, when an Alabama court ruled my aunt to be an “unfit” mother, solely because she was gay. This was a court battle that went on for years, and as a result, my cousin, who was the same age as me and who I was very close with, was only able to see her mom every other weekend, and even then, only if my aunt’s partner left the house before she arrived.”

The track is taken from Rae's upcoming album entitled Putting On Airs and is ultimately a reflection of how these events affected her over the years to come, as she explains "What grew out of that experience for me was a deep, underlying fear of being gay. I internalized the heartbreak that I saw my aunt and cousin endure, which made things incredibly difficult and confusing as I entered my pre-teen and teenage years, because if you were a girl in the South in 90s, you’re supposed to be getting crushes on boys."

Through all the heartbreak and pain that underpins the track, where Rae wrestles with how she views herself, there seems to be a message of self-acceptance as she gradually finds confidence in who she is. It doesn't need a massive moment of euphoric epiphany, and instead the gentle floating melodies slowly guide her through to find her way. It's a stunning and thought-provoking listen that only further exemplifies Rae's rising talent.