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Max Leone has had a busy 2020 so far, releasing his second single of the year today. "Cautious" is an emotional, storied track, featuring introspective lyrics over a Santana-like guitar riff.  The young artist on the verge debuted the single this morning along with an utterly captivating music video directed by Clyde Monroe.

“Cautious" is very much a "cautionary tale," detailing how closing yourself off from new experiences because they're intimidating can cause you to miss out on some of life's greatest adventures. Leone wrote the song shortly after moving Los Angeles to pursue his dream, telling Billboard,

"I was living by myself and I didn’t know anyone. I was dealing with the duality of feeling totally in control of my own emotions while simultaneously not being able to feel anything very deeply.”

The lyrics are focused on grappling with the ever-dueling feelings of independence and loneliness that come with living on your own. In the video, Leone is seen wandering aimlessly around a house, seemingly representative of how he spent his days when settling into his new city.  

The chorus presents Leone bargaining with himself over the ups and downs of living by himself, crooning " Yeah, and it's nice to be all alone sometimes just to let it go / But, lately the days have been feeling so long / And maybe I don't have to be on my own."

In his Billboard interview, Leone reflected on the experience that inspired the song, admitting, “I realized that denying myself vulnerability wasn’t, in fact, protecting me at all, and was actually making me feel even more isolated. Writing ‘Cautious’ was what led me to the conclusion that by confining my life to my own experience, I was actually missing out on the most important part of it.”

So, if you've been needing a push to open up and be social lately, Leone can confirm the grass is greener outside of your own bubble. Stay tuned for more emotionally charged tracks from Leone, as his debut EP is expected out later this year.

Listen to  "Cautious" below: