Ding. Ding. Ding.
Taunting, ever so taunting, a phone buzzed face down on the coffee table in front of her.
She refused to so much as glance at the rectangular esteem killer and focused her gaze at the blank tattered journal in her lap. Swiping away the pool of eraser shavings adorning the page, back to work she went.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
One peek wont hurt, right?
Her heart begins to crawl up to poke at the backs of her eyes. She tosses the phone to the side. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to ignore the incessant calls of criticism just inches away from her.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
With calloused hands, her heart squeezes her throat, refusing to let go even when she tries to swallow it down.
Ding.
She squeezes her eyes tighter.
Little does she know, that doesn’t stop them from coming.
Ding.
Nausea settles in the bottom of her stomach.
They begin to flood the room.
Ding.
She’s gasping for air. She can’t breathe. She’s getting desperate.
With each struggled breath they begin to swarm the air around her.
Ding.
Her eyes snap open. The room is spinning. Headlines are floating in front of her, on the side of her, behind her, they are everywhere. Comments are wailing and tearing her journal to shreds.
A scream erupts, ripping her throat raw.
Listening to Brutal, the first track of Olivia Rodrigo’s album Sour, will insert you in place of the girl written above. No matter your age, gender, or role in society. We live in an era of criticism and unsolicited opinions, there is nowhere to run. Our struggles are too often put down and belittled by those around us. However, Olivia Rodrigo grants her listeners an escape from that, a chance to be seen. Whether you’re a teenager, an overworked employee, or even a dad blasting music with daughter, give this song a listen. At the very least, it helps get out a lot of harboured resentment.
