Ahead Of Debut Record, MattstaGraham Chooses Self-Love in "Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You
Photo: Yeshua Flores
Emo rock artist MattstaGraham is continuing his streak of putting out heartfelt and engaging singles with the release of the Pollyanna-assisted “Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You.” The single is a part of the artist’s upcoming and highly-anticipated self-produced album Prescribe Whatever, set to release April 29.
“Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You” focuses on themes of self-love and accepting that you can’t please everyone. The track opens with an immediate earworm of a guitar riff that lulls and eases listeners in before being catapulting into the single’s fast-paced true nature. Matt’s unmistakable vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics weave in and out of punky, nostalgic instrumentals that sound simple yet incredibly effective, creating a sonic world that feels familiar yet new. “Lyrically, I just really love the chorus,” says Matt. “I felt like I took such a complex and nuanced feeling of inadequacy and wrote it off with a shrug. So writing that chorus was a little more healing than I think I gave it at the time.”
Matt shared that this single was the most positive song he’s ever written, and he felt like he experienced character growth while working on the song. “It was really nice to break away from writing about all the negative things I feel all the time,” he shares. “I used to think that writing the negative was like getting rid of it or offloading it. I’m realizing these days that while yes, it can be like that in doses, it’s more like pouring it into a bathtub and soaking in it when you’re doing it constantly. Writing a positive song felt like character growth.”
Pollyanna’s Jill Beckett joins the anthemic track with their warm and optimistic vocals. According to Matt, having Jill on the track drove home the song’s message and gave it more validation. “I know I’m not the only one who feels out of place, and I’m definitely not the only person who needs to hear that it’s okay to love yourself. So it’s nice to have someone else back that thought up, especially who I admire as an artist and person.”
The accompanying music video is a fun and wholesome DIY video that Matt edited entirely on his phone, featuring his friends and loved ones. In a TikTok-inspired format, somewhat paying homage to the platform where he first went viral, viewers watch Matt and his cohorts sing and play along to the song. “Truthfully, the only people I know in person in that video are my girlfriend and the band! Everyone else (Pollyanna included) is an internet friend," reveals Matt. "The most fun thing about working on this video was all of the fun videos I received from everyone for it. I didn’t give anyone any instruction on what to do - I just told them to pick a line that they liked and do something fun to it (with the obvious rules of no racism, misogyny, bigotry of any kind, etc.). People are capable of some really fun and creative things when you give them the freedom!"
Prescribe Whatever, the upcoming album, will touch on mental health, growth, and the road towards self-actualization, self-acceptance, and self-love. "So much of this record is essentially about fighting the world around you to be able to exist in it, and this song really just boils it down to shrugging your shoulders and saying, ‘I guess it’s up to me and no one else to determine what living a good life means.’”
Watch the "Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You" below:
