In an age in which we curate our lives to just show the highlights, few are bold enough to be truly honest about their mental health. Minneapolis singer-songwriter/rapper Call Me Karizma, however, lays it all out on the table in his new single, “Serotonin.”
Raw and unfiltered, “Serotonin” flows on moody guitar strums and a haunting, echoing rhythm, as Riz takes a hard look at society’s — as well as his own — dependency on pills and potions to make themselves happy: “Took a thousand happy pills but I’m still emo.” It’s pointed and candid in its delivery, but also maintains a hypnotizing catchiness that makes you want to keep this mirror held up to yourself for a little longer.
But instead of simply spitting lyrics to incite resentment, Riz makes a concerted effort to use his music to let his fans — also known as the “Gloomy Cult” that they’re not alone and that their feelings are valid.
“Since I started writing songs around 10 years old, I have been talking about mental health, “ Riz told EARMILK. “Having to struggle with it at such a young age, always thinking I was the ‘weird’ kid, my music was the only outlet to keep me from giving up. A majority of my fan base is filled with the same type of kids who need that escape from their mind. My music and my message is there for us when we need to be told ‘it’s okay to be sad but it isn’t okay to give up.’”
https://twitter.com/callmekarizma/status/1068370691865501697
“Serotonin” is the single from the artist’s upcoming EP, and the second chapter of three-EP series The Gloomy Tapes. The Gloomy Tapes, Vol. 1 was released this summer, and Vol. 2 is expected to drop in the end of February 2019.
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