Three years after one of his songs was included on former President Barack Obamas favorite songs of 2020, the dirt emo singer Ruston Kellys third full length studio album The Weakness was released on Friday, April 7.
In The Weakness, Kelly discloses his innermost thoughts and fears through his lyrics. Throughout the album Kelly writes of her, a reference to his ex-wife Kacey Musgraves, and gives voice to the emotionality of heartbreak and his continued struggles with addiction, a theme throughout his previous work.
While the album is named after the title track, The Weakness isnt even close to being one of the best on the album. It introduces the personal conversation he has about loss and struggles every human faces, setting the foundation for the following 11 tracks.
When you can sum something up singularly, and then put it against the whole and see the bigger picture, you really can understand your sense of direction, sense of purpose, and also your sense of peace, Kelly shared with Rolling Stone, describing this album as self-help rock.
Highlight tracks on The Weakness are ones with the more personal, deep messages that reveal Kellys inner monologue. These tracks include Hellfire, St. Jupiter, Mending Song, Holy Shit and Better Now.
The chorus of Hellfire strikes a chord deep within as Kelly empathetically voices emotions and thoughts that can overtake ones head. He sings, Sometimes I wish I was somebody else / I give in, I give up / Maybe dont and just wish me luck.
Mending Song is the most critically acclaimed song on The Weakness and has garnered over 600,000 streams on Spotify. The track reads as a story of Kellys life from birth to death and is reminiscent of his 2020 hit Brave that made Obamas list of favorite songs for 2020.
The most impactful lyric from Mending Song is the chorus, which repeats, I wanna live like Im only made of air / And I will forgive what was done out of despair / I wish you only happiness and healin / And I hope that youre findin it out there.
Comparatively, Brave is much more focused on legacy, as Kelly opens the song singing, Who am I and how will I / Be remembered when I die, and concludes with a description of how he hopes to be remembered. Both songs showcase Kellys immense talent for lyricism and the personal emotion poured into each. Through recollections of his life, Kelly shares with the world incredibly personal thoughts and feelings in a stream-of-consciousness songwriting style.
The only song that leaves listeners wanting more personal information and the full story behind the song is Michael Keaton. Kelly tells a story of someone, assumed to be himself, getting high on CBD early in the morning and pondering Michael Keatonss death in the 1996 film Multiplicity. The verses and chorus tell the story for the point of the song but leave much to be assumed about what really happened to inspire it.
The Weakness chronicles Ruston Kellys innermost thoughts, feelings and fears, while discussing heartbreak, loss and addiction. His songwriting is powerful in its uncanny journalistic style, giving listeners understanding, empathy and the feeling that they really know Kelly. It is a deeply personal album that has helped Kelly come to terms with his past and gives everyone touched by his voice the opportunity for personal recollection and growth.
The Weakness is available on any music streaming service.