With the release of his latest single All Week (“The song is a reflection on how work can consume our entire lives”), RON ends the chapter with ‘Anxious’; an EP of five songs that tackle the touchy subjects of self-sabotage, intimacy and culture’s obsession with sex and pleasure.
Here, RON presents a visual diary for the EP’s five singles.
1. Push & Pull
I wrote ‘Push & Pull’ after leaving a suffocating toxic relationship in which I felt trapped. I was bitter & worn out and needed an exit strategy. I knew it was doing more harm to stay on but I couldn’t bring myself to end it because of the guilt and attachment I had.
‘Push & Pull’ was the first song I worked on, and it paved the way for the entire sound of the EP.
I was also inspired by the alternative R&B genre and artists like The Weekend, Summer Walker and Alextbh and wanted to emulate that in my music.
2. Anxious
I remember waking up at 3 am after a night of drinking while on a staycation with friends and could not sleep. There was an itch to write so I walked into the bathroom, closed the door & sat in the bathtub.
I got onto Youtube and searched for random R&B-type beats, found one, and wrote the chorus of ‘Anxious’ within ten minutes.
Anxious was written at a point in time when I was coming to terms with my anxious-avoidant attachment where I was afraid of true intimacy and commitment. It was also when I was most distrustful of people and had a serious lack of personal boundaries.
3. With Ya
‘With Ya’ was my effort at diving into a more sensual R&B sound. I wanted to document the experience of sexual tension built up with a yearning warm feeling straight after physical intimacy. where you’re lying in the comfort of silence while in good company.
Visually, ‘With Ya’ can be described as burgundy red silk sheets and this was the last song I recorded for the EP.
4. All Week
The concept of ‘All Week’ came about when I was knee-deep in my corporate job and was going through a period where I lost my motivation & drive. I was drinking a lot to cope and found myself losing the sense of excitement and joy I used to have.
The song is a reflection on how work can consume our entire lives and compromise our health, family and friends. I burnt out quickly while on the job and isolated myself, so writing ‘All Week’ was a form of therapy for me.
5. All The Time
‘All The Time’ is a commentary on the transient nature of modern-day relationships and culture’s obsession with sex and pleasure. The emptiness of my dating experiences really got to me.
I was tired of people hitting me up on dating apps (especially at odd hours) only to find out they were only interested in sleeping with me and not actually getting to know me. To make matters worse, some of them were attached or in open relationships.
As Ted’s mother Virginia Mosby from How I Met Your Mother claims: ‘Nothing good happens after 2 am’.
In terms of melody, I was listening to lots of Post Malone at that time & that inspired me to write the sing-rap pre-chorus hook.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our September 2022 issue!
RELATED ARTICLES
The AI-fication Of Facial Treatments
Fashion Is Yearning for More
