Russ Rewards Himself On His New Single, ‘That Was Me’

On his new single, “That Was Me,” singer, songwriter, and producer Russ doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. Known for expressing himself vividly in his music and songwriting craft, Russ’ latest cut takes his hallmarked self-awareness to a new level.

Tapping into his emotions, Russ sings “You know that was me who came through when it mattered / You know that was me turnin’ loss into laughter / Divvy up the cash, makin’ sure we all eat / Bring us all together, makin’ sure we all speak,” over a downtempo electronic beat, reflecting on how his need to take care of his family led to depression and alcoholism.

Ahead of “That Was Me,” Russ took to Instagram to share a message with fans.

“I think all of us, especially men, brush things under the rug and ignore the things that are troubling us,” he said. “We’ve been taught that it’s weak to feel. That we should be numb and just keep it pushin. I did that my whole life and the only time I would give anyone a glimpse into what I was feeling was in a 3 minute song. I felt like I was living a double life because in the studio I’d face what I was feeling (sometimes) but outside the studio, I tried to keep a happy exterior because that’s what I thought strength was.”

Check out “That Was Me” above.