To be truly vulnerable and honest in your art is the greatest challenge that any creative can face, but for UK singer and songwriter Penelope Darling her authenticity lies in the truth.
As she candidly explains: “Every song I’ve ever written has truth, a personal story or about someone I care about. But this song is different. It’s my hardest time, sung in poetry. I’m so proud of what we have created with Tears Run Red.”
This sincere R&B ballad is an emotional response to the hardest time in the life of Penelope; the heartache, struggle and strength of which you can hear in every R&B melody and pensive pause. ‘Tears Run Red’ was more than an outlet for Penelope, she’s also created the space for others to feel solidarity, to have a greater understanding of the choice some people make or to begin their own self-therapy.
“Writing music is my therapy. Having the ability to create something beautiful, out of a dark situation is like magic. This song is honest and vulnerable like nothing else I’ve ever written. The beauty of songwriting is that you discover all these emotions that you didn’t know you had. You learn so much about yourself, as well as allowing yourself to heal. If you’re someone that heals with music, I hope you find a connection with this song that allows you to do that.”
Completing the single is a cinematic music video, in which Penelope Darling consoles herself in a car while the pathetic fallacy of rain reminds the watcher of just how emotional this song truly is.
Always one to be humble about her talent, the British artist shares her gratitude for the team involved in the making of this single: “My whole team through the Tears Run Red journey have been amazing, and I can’t thank them enough. They have helped me create something truly magical.”
Penelope Darling cites her Dad’s music collection as her biggest inspiration and his constant support as the reason that she took a career in music seriously. As such, she was exposed to artists like Etta James, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin which really inspired her to explore all types of blues and jazz. Later, she found an affinity with R&B artists like H.E.R, Summer Walker, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Drake, Ne-Yo, Adele, Jasmine Sullivan, to mention a few. You can hear traces of these influences in the R&B-meets-blues music that Penelope now loves to create.
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