How payton Found Closure and Let Go With His Debut insomnia EP

Today, alt-pop singer-songwriter payton dropped his debut EP, insomnia, and turned 19 years old, so it's safe to say it's a pretty momentous day for the star.

Since dropping his first viral single, "Love Letter," in 2020, payton has released hit after hit, including "Habits," "Hard to Breathe," "DRIVE AWAY," and "RICH BOY," each with their own powerfully catchy hooks that make it easy to see why they blew up on TikTok. insomnia, however, takes both his sound and lyricism in a bold new direction with rawly honest, confessional tracks that dig deeper than payton ever has as an artist, with a distinct R&B twist. Click HERE to stream the EP now, and keep reading to find out what payton shared with us about the new EP and why it's so special to him.

payton's Personal insomnia

payton: Insomnia was something I dealt with for years. It affected a lot of aspects of my life. I never was honest with myself about why I felt the way I did and why I had these problems. I started writing track No. 6, which I named "insomnia." It was such a meaningful song to me that it was the perfect name for the project.

 

Also read about: payton Told Us What His New Song 'RICH BOY' Is Really About

 

insomnia's Themes

payton: I would say it all stems from a manipulative relationship. The main theme is coping with the loss of an S.O. I really want the listeners to find some sort of closure with this project like I did, feeling more comfortable with letting go of that weight on their shoulders.

 

On Releasing His First EP

payton: It feels surreal. I remember how releasing my first single felt and this is just 1000 times better to me. So many people worked so hard to make this happen and I feel like it's a big step for me and my musical career.

 

Also read about: Emotional payton Lyrics to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption

 

The Tracks

payton: Splitting up track-by-track comes with a lot of similar emotions I had when working on this project. I have a process for songwriting, but every song is different in its own way.

The most meaningful song would be "insomnia," the title track. I still have every single voice memo and note from creating this song and it just flowed so easily. It was like a freestyle and helped me overcome so many things through writing it.

Another couple of favorites are "blame" and "way out"—probably some of my favorite songs I have ever written. They are refreshing, and when I first heard the production and beginning parts of the instrumentals, I was locked in and created those mainly in the studio. Compare that to "insomnia," which I created on a ukulele in my bedroom.

To me, creating this EP as a whole project meant working through and overcoming obstacles in life emotionally and opening up a new wave of creativity. That is the feeling across all of these songs, and I hope that these songs can help others the way they have helped me personally, emotionally and creatively with writing music, too.

 

For even more from payton, click HERE to read our interview with the star on insomnia track "all wrong."