jxdn Pens an Ode to His Late Best Friend in "Elevated Heartbreak"
Alternative singer-songwriter jxdn struggles with the gravity of loss in his latest single, "Elevated Heartbreak." With achingly vulnerable lyrics and stripped-down, guitar-driven instrumentation, the Tennessee native opens up about his grief and the complicated emotions that come with suddenly losing a loved one.
The single, which is the third single from his forthcoming sophomore album, is inspired by the loss of jxdn's best friend, Cooper Noriega, who passed suddenly on June 9, 2022. Opening with just a guitar and his smooth vocals, jxdn sets the scene, admitting that he knew of his friend's struggles and tried to be there for them, hoping they would "come back."
Lyrics like "All those promises / Promises have passed" pack a particular punch, alluding to promises that will now always go unfulfilled. It could also reference the artist's previous single "Beautiful Boy," pointing to the line "Why'd you go so soon when you said and promised you wouldn't."
In the emotional chorus, jxdn asks his friend if he knew, "I hate how I don't hate you?/ And if I tried, I can't replace you," belting that he "can't replace all the memories" and that he can't wait for the day where's he given "a second chance to hold your hand, a lifetime to wait for."
Throughout the second verse, he reveals how heartbroken and lonely he's been, and as the instrumentals build around him, they explode into a storm of emotion with raging guitar riffs, crashing percussion, and screaming vocals that shout to the heavens, "Wish you loved me too, too / What's my love to you? / Wish you loved me too, too."
Watch the "elevated heartbreak" visualizer below:
