Grace Gardner first grabbed my attention back in August When she posted a viral TikTok of her singing “Deny Me.” The Austin based singer’s voice and lyricism gave me instant chills, and I’ve been patiently waiting for the full version ever since. The wait is finally over, as her second single was released on all streaming services on October 28th.

In her own words via Twitter, it is “a song that wears many hats — devotion, desperation, a final plea for closure — but is both a heartbreak and a love song.” The 5 minute ballad is flawlessly layered with a somber string section and background harmonies that compliment the emotional and vulnerable state of the song. The lyrics tell the relatable tale of an ending love story; this love was stronger than Grace had felt before. It was an immediate passion that engulfed her from the beginning, which both excited and scared her. As feelings grew stronger, so did the absorption of emotion that became taxing on her wellbeing. “Deny Me,” feels like a direct letter written to her love as she navigates the difficult recovery of heartbreak, best shown in her chorus: “I’ll keep singing love songs about you at my shows ‘til the message gets through. And if you asked me to stop then I would, but I’m hoping you wanted to be a muse.”

Honest and raw, heartbreaking and motivating, this song embodies what it means to be a singer-songwriter. Grace Gardner’s ability to paint vivid stories through lyricism and musical expression leaves no doubt in my mind that she will be an artist I come back to for years to come. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for her, and it’s my hope that releasing this song helps her heal like it will for thousands of others.

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