Self-hatred can be paralyzing, as it can keep you from the things and people you love in an attempt to sink you that much lower. In Mikey LaSusa's debut single, "Good Enough," he actively fights against that voice, while the accompanying music video takes us back to his childhood as he learns to accept his insecurities so he's able to overcome them.
The song begins with a count-off from LaSusa, instantly grounding listeners in its raw authenticity. Different hand-drawn sketches flash across the screen, capturing moments of childhood nostalgia as LaSusa appears in hand-painted airplane pajamas, recreating scenes from his past. He sings the opening line, "You're not good enough I know," as vintage clips of his toddler years intertwine with the present day, making it feel as though he’s having a conversation with his younger self. This layered narrative continues, with LaSusa symbolizing self-reflection and growth. Just like a child at the fastest online casino eagerly watching the spinning reels, hoping for that breakthrough moment, he pursues small victories, whether trying to win a rollerskating race, hit a baseball, or grasp the basics of reading. Initially, he falters, but as his confidence builds, he finally succeeds, transforming struggle into triumph.
"The whole thing was like crayons," LaSusa says in reference to the DIY nature of the video, as the majority of it was filmed on an iPhone and each actor was a friend from college. "We got into the mindset of what we did as kids and what we were insecure about. It was so nostalgic and so insane cause I have not felt that way since I was like ten." The feeling of childlike wonder that LaSusa experienced while filming is prevalent throughout, transporting viewers back to their own childhood.
Though the video has a compelling plot, it is LaSusa's skilled instrumentalism as a guitarist, as well as his prevalent vocal, that carries the song. The vulnerability that he conveys in the fingerpicked verses, is only amplified by his passion in the chorus as he tries to convince himself of his worth, "Cause you’ve hated without loving yourself for way too long / Holding out for someone to pick you up off the ground / You keep looking outside but you’ve got it all wrong." This guitar-driven ode to overcoming intrusive thoughts is a culmination of a life’s worth of self-doubt, packaged in one succinct song, proving to himself that he is, indeed, good enough.
