The beauty of youth is that you don't have a past, so you have nothing to compare your future to, and therefore, you can look ahead with hope and curiosity about life. As you get older, you may be fortunate enough to have some memorable experiences that you'll cherish for the rest of your life, but unfortunately, such experiences don't last forever; only for a few chapters. As you enter into a new phase of life, it hurts to say "goodbye" to all you've ever known, and it's scary to look ahead and wonder if life will ever be as good as it once was. It's easy to get nostalgic, and spend more time thinking back on the past rather than truly living in the moment and being excited for the next step. I was in love once, long ago, and the heartbreak derailed my life. A few years later, all my friends moved away, and I found myself in a lonely place. It was a constant struggle, wondering if I should keep trying to revitalize the past, or let go and seek out a new beginning. It took a lot of time seeking God, praying, reflecting, and investing in myself by developing my skills, knowledge, and confidence. Then one day, I finally had the strength to let go, so I did. I felt so free. I'll always cherish the past I once had, but there's still a lot more life left to live, and I believe the best is yet to come. This song expresses the struggle of saying "goodbye" to the past, and learning to have a hopefully viewpoint for the future. Rather than feeling broken down and existing only as a shattered reflection of your former self, you can display the pieces confidently, knowing these experiences have taught you many valuable lessons, given you much wisdom, and now belong to your collection of stories that help to create a meaningful and adventurous life.more

This version of "Plastic Cup" is performed with a single vocal and a piano. This version really showcases the loneliness and agony that comes from feeling like nobody "gets you".more

You gotta be pretty tough if you're gonna chase after your dreams, because it's never as simple as it seems, and it's often a very lonely journey. In 2016, my life was entering a strange new chapter. My best friend was about to get married, and I knew I wouldn't see him much anymore; in fact, life was taking all of my friends in many different directions, and I seemed to be left all alone in the same old place. I was on my way home from the bachelor party with a friend when we got to talking about our futures. He, like me, had dreams of being a music artist, but he was letting go of that dream since apparently he was “too old” and had missed his window of opportunity.
 I don’t think he realized what he was saying, but I was older than him, so to say the dream was no longer possible for him was indirectly implying that it was far too late for me to have a chance. I got home; I was alone, sleep deprived, and in need of a shower. As the water was pouring down on me, I knew something wasn’t right, but I just couldn’t put it into words.
 Then suddenly, I collapsed onto the floor, crumbling into a ball as the tears burned through my eyes. I was surprised to hear the words that came out of my mouth: “I just want someone to love me; to tell me I’m good enough.” It’s a constant tug-of-war when you realize you’re not like the people around you. You could choose to conform and try to blend in, but it never satisfies, because it isn’t authentic. Yet, to step out and be different; to be “weird”, is a frightening thing to do. It’s taken me years to become who I want to be, and to build up the boldness to be that person unapologetically. In 2024, I set out to write a new song and found myself reflecting on this particular time in my life. It is this story that inspired “Plastic Cup”; the feeling of pouring your heart out into all you do, and yet no one seems to appreciate you. I have since learned that while not many people in my life may “get me”, there are a lot of people who do love me and are rooting for me; and I know now that I am good enough to achieve this dream of mine. I wrote this song to encourage others who may be going through a similar phase in their life; to let them know that I understand what that’s like, and to remind them of the truth: that they are loved, they are good enough, and their life will be a treasure to those around them. more