Rising pop star Lauv hasn't always been open about his struggles with mental health, but he's looking to change that. In an op-ed for PAPER, the singer-songwriter got candid about his unhealthy relationship with social media and overcoming his own personal stigma around taking medication for his depression and OCD, in the hopes that by sharing his story he might inspire others who are struggling, as well.
Lauv is looking to continue the conversation with his latest single. Emotionally raw but honest, "Sad Forever" is rather upbeat for a song about mental health. Its outlook is hopeful, knowing that the first step towards finding the light at the end of the tunnel is wanting for things to be different. "I wrote 'Sad Forever' at a time when I was extremely low," Lauv explains. "I was dealing with depression and OCD but hadn't really recognized or gotten the help I needed. While I was hesitant at first, asking for help was an important first step."
Putting his money where his mouth is, Lauv has pledged to donate all of the proceeds from the track to various organizations around the world that work to destigmatize mental health. "Mental illness is something that is often times not apparent to the outside world. It's an ongoing journey with ups and downs and finding stability is a process that I'm still heavily working on."
The video for "Sad Forever" captures the song's world debut in front of the biggest headlining crowd Lauv has played to date. The live performance features a solitary Lauv surrounded by an arena full of fans. It's captioned by a confessional monologue detailing the song's backstory to create a poetic visual metaphor for feeling isolated even amidst a sea of love.
Watch the full video for "Sad Forever," and check out the full list of organizations the song's proceeds benefit, below:
North America: Bring Change 2 Mind
UK: Time to Change
Australia/NZ: beyondblue
Europe: Sweden: Hjärnkoll
Europe: Denmark
Europe: Netherlands Starmen Sterk Stigma
Photo courtesy of Lauv
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