Healing our inner wounds: Chandler Leighton’s new single takes us through growth and pain
Photo courtesy of Riles Martinez (insta: photosbyriles)
Eight months after the release of “Coming Up For Air”, Chandler Leighton is back with her latest single, “Waiting For You To Heal”.
After spending those eight months reflecting and reconstructing what it means to be an artist, Chandler composed one of her most personal projects to date. Most can box a song into a genre. “Waiting For You To Heal” defies any concept of genres. It’s more than just a song; It’s a story. It’s a personal reflection of her own experiences from childhood to the present moment.
In one of her earliest projects, an EP she put out called “A Letter To My Vices”, there’s a song called “Sweatshirt” that kicks off the EP, setting a heartbreaking tone of loss. The grief of going from building a life with someone you loved dearly, to adjusting to life without this person. The hard spoken feelings, post-breakup. In that song, there’s lyrics in the first verse that stick out to me like a sore thumb:
“Why is it so easy for people to leave? Is it them, or is it something wrong with me? ‘Cause I’ve torn myself to pieces to convince you I’m worth keeping // If I told you I was healing, tell me, would you still be leaving?”
Why I bring up Leighton’s old work is because this upcoming project, yet to be announced, sealed away somewhere in her LA studio until it’s finished cooking, is because it starts from the beginning. Every version of Chandler that has ever existed, those versions of Chandler yet to exist, they’re all being reflected upon. Some say to “Write what you know”. Well, I don’t know how much more personal this can get.
Photo courtesy of Riles Martinez (insta: photosbyriles)
Going from “If I told you I was healing, tell me, would you still be leaving” to “I’ll let you choose” is growth. Painful growth. The kind of growth where you stop holding on to anyone because you’re afraid they’ll leave you. The kind of growth where you’re willing to let someone go. Not because you want to. Because if you don’t do the healing, there’s no room for growth. Chandler conveys the hard pill to swallow that one cannot save anyone but themselves. As painful as it is to overreach, even if you’re not the high that person chose, even if you would go to extremes that ends up hurting you, as long as that means that person doesn’t abandon you, putting the wellbeing of others to such an extreme before your own is self destructive. “Waiting For You To Heal” feels like a lesson learned the hard way.
Just in case Chandler reads this article, thank you for taking us along on your journey. For immersing us in something as personal as “Waiting For You To Heal”. I have a strong feeling that this song isn’t just healing for you; It is healing for the listener who resonates with your story. You’re one of a kind. Dare I say one of the most raw artists I have come across. It takes a special kind of strength to be as vulnerable as you are. I can’t wait to see where this journey continues to take you. I love you. I’m so proud of you as a fan and as a mutual.
