If, like me, you’ve dipped from country radio for a decade or two, there are a lot of encouraging reasons to poke your nose back in. Artists like Krystal King are making powerful music with meaty hooks and a judicious amount of twang. “House Fire” speaks to this trend, a catchy song that will catch you off-guard if you aren’t listening closely.
As you nod along to the opening verse on “House Fire,” you’ll notice that something isn’t quite right…this is not your average torch song. This is in fact a genuine expression of pain with a ’90s country veneer. It never would have made it to radio back then, but we’re living in more honest days. “House Fire” confronts suicidal ideation with a sense of bold assertion: this is not something to be ashamed of, and it’s a relief to be able to talk about it openly.
With that said, of course, if you or a loved one are considering hurting themselves, please reach out to SAMHSA’s mental health crisis hotline through chat or phone.