Next time you’re in the feels, do yourself a favor and listen to Foster’s new single, “i tried everything.” With flows reminiscent of Mac Miller in his prime and lyrics that feel almost too relatable, Foster has solidified himself as someone to keep on your radar.

Colin Foster Taylor, or Foster, is a 24-year-old rapper and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He started making music at a young age and later attended Belmont University where he earned a degree in Songwriting. At the time of this article, Foster has over 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 117k followers on TikTok, but these numbers continue to rise.

From rapping over YouTube beats to collaborating with top-tier producers like Christoph Andersson, the songwriter has come a long way and cultivated an original sound and dedicated fanbase. He originally blew up with the success of his track, “fools (can’t help falling in love) (feat. Sody).” This big break helped him land a record deal with Relentless Records.

When Foster teased his latest release, “i tried everything,” on TikTok months ago, he didn’t expect it to resonate with so many people. Unlike his other tracks, which are mostly fictional stories and love songs, he wasn’t trying to be relatable with this one. Foster enlisted the help of Zaini for production and wrote this straight from the heart.

Quickly after posting on TikTok, the clip went viral, and viewers fell in love with the song, even though they had only heard a snippet. It’s his realest song to date, and he knew it would make an impact the second he heard the demo track by Kailee Morgue. He stumbled across it at a time when he was doing everything he could to reduce his anxiety, including, as the chorus suggests, cutting out coffee for tea.

He was more than anxious during this period, and it's what inspired him to write the song. What should have been the best year of his life has unfortunately been one of the worst. “Of all the songs I’ve written, this is the easiest to talk about. I have so much to say ”Mental health has been a major part of his life since he was diagnosed with the depersonalization-derealization disorder in 2012. The extremely rare condition essentially makes you feel like you aren’t real, and that you’re merely observing yourself and your life from the outside. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s the worst feeling ever.” It leaves people numb and apathetic, and even close friends and family can’t tell when things are going downhill. Foster meant it when he said he’s “surrounded by the ones I love, but in my head, I’m all alone” in the second verse.

The condition has been life-altering, and there isn’t a universal cure or treatment, so he’s stuck battling it every day. At this point… he truly has tried everything. He wants to be an advocate for the condition and help other sufferers feel less alone. Relating with listeners is half of the reason he started making music in the first place, he also does it as a form of therapy. When we talked about how vulnerable and honest the track is, he commented, “I make music as a career, but I also make music to say things I can’t get out in other ways.”

Big things lie ahead for Foster as he prepares to drop lots of music in the coming year. His flows, lyrics, and ear for beats could easily bring him further into the spotlight, and I’m excited to see him continue to grow. For now, stream “i tried everything” below, and you’ll see what I mean.

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