Written by Joyelle Ronan
Is it nepotism to write an article about my musician brother? Possibly. But as editor of this page, it’s kind of my job to introduce the Brackety-Ack readers to all things Culture and Wellness. The new single “Bad Thoughts” by Belated just so happens to combine both of those things.
The song details how difficult it is to deal with negative emotions after a breakup and the desire to “fade away.” The lyrics mention overthinking, not wanting to leave the house, and continuously visiting an ex’s social media. However, the raw and honest lyrics are offset by a catchy pop melody.
Belated singer and songwriter Jordon Ronan, 25, has come a long way from when he recorded his first song in 7th grade. But that experience of playing acoustic guitar and singing made Jordan realize his passion for music.
“It was never a thing where I wanted to be a musician, it was just that I liked listening to music, I wanted to see if I could write my own music. Music in general is the thing that makes me happiest. So, being able to make my own is pretty cool,” said Jordan.
The main adjective of Belated’s new music is to make people feel good while they’re listening. For the 17 minutes of the band’s new EP, Jordan hopes that people will be able to vibe with it and not think about the stressors in their lives. People will be able to enjoy, relate to, and maybe even be inspired by the emotional lyrics. Jordan found the process of writing the EP to be very therapeutic.
“Songwriting is definitely therapy. Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m past an issue until I’m able to write a song about it. Usually, the end result is, if I feel good about the song, I’m over the thing. I’m like that experience- no matter how negative it was, it served its purpose because I got the song I wanted out of it,” He explained.
While songwriting and music help Jordan make sense of the world, he is also aware of the challenges that come along with being a musician. He discussed how easy it is to feel negative when seeing so many successful acts, as though you’re just one in a million. There can be a lot of self-doubt and feelings of imposter syndrome. It can be difficult to maintain the self-confidence needed to put yourself and your music out there. Ultimately, as Jordan states, it’s worth it.
“The best part of being a musician is just writing songs and recording them. My potential kids could listen to this. My potential grandkids could listen to this. When I die, people could be like ‘this is what he did in his time.’ It’s cool to me to have songs that will hopefully last past me. I don’t know how much a legacy matters, honestly, because you’re not alive to experience it. But if I were to think about what I’d want my legacy to be, I wouldn’t mind if it were just ‘I really enjoy the songs he made.”
Check out “Bad Thoughts” on all streaming platforms. You can find Belated on Instagram @belatedmusic or belatedmusic.com.
