The unrequited truth found me when I had no other place to turn. In this intense bout with my own emotions, I found that stagnancy made the war impossible to end. On one hand, I could rest comfortably on the laurels of what I was already able to accomplish musically, but I knew that there was more for me to say. It would be easy to write another song about unwavering love, but the diamonds are found in the difficulty. In the dilapidated basement of my mother-in-law's home, my internal conflict started to take ease.

The more I wrote about my own plight as a Black man, I had more grace for the person I saw in the mirror. After crafting each stanza, the smile that became so unfamiliar decided to make more appearances than ever before. I cried because for the first time, my music became an outlet for me & not someone else. American Fairytale is what I finally needed to say. It was written, by me, to me, and for me. As you listen, I hope you are able to find the inspiration and peace I felt creating it.

Pure.