Being vulnerable, even with life long friends and romantic partners, can be difficult. Especially after a lifetime of banishing your sad and angry emotions over the mountain of walls you surround yourself with. Toronto’s Adrian Underhill explores feelings of vulnerability and the anxieties that consume us, millennial or not, on his debut single Not Good Enough.
Touching on moments of exasperation and our desire to give up, Underhill sings, “I know I’m not the only one who wants to give up and run,” in this tender space of light instrumentation. He continues about our mutual anxieties and whether we’re living up to the expectations that ourselves and others have placed on us, with honest vocals that carry a gentle weight of hope that reaches out and connects with you. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel bad about themselves/ I guess you get used to it/ We’re all in this together somehow,” he sings with backing vocals that blanket your woes in a comforting warmth. It’s ok to feel the way you do, and it’s ok to share those feelings.
For the video, Underhill explained:
“I wanted to make something that tied in to the single artwork for “Not Good Enough”. Using layers, silhouette, transparency and bright colour. I wanted it to feel human – flawed. I made the video using an overhead projector and coloured transparencies. Using these physical materials helped give the video a more imperfect look that fits with the lyrics of the song.”