LISTEN: Rebecca McCartney Debuts New Single “Behind Closed Doors”
LISTEN: Rebecca McCartney Debuts New Single “Behind Closed Doors”
The genre-blending singer wants you to celebrate yourself
Words by: Meaghan MacDonald
New York native Rebecca McCartney has debuted her new single, “Behind Closed Doors” off her forthcoming EP How You Feel. Fused with heavy jazz and R&B components, complete with a heart-wrenching chorus. McCartney’s smooth voice crooning lines like, “You only love me when the doors are closed/Only out with me if nobody knows.”
McCartney shared her thoughts on the new single saying, “‘Behind Closed Doors’ is about being in a relationship with someone who wants to keep you a secret from their world, but choosing to turn that quiet rejection into a dance-y celebration of yourself. It’s about reminding the world that you will not be held back or made to feel embarrassed. Let’s dance about it instead.”
The smooth track merges a range of genres, creating an enchanting sound. With devastatingly sad lyrics and an upbeat tone it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of breaking free and not letting anything hold you back.
Born into a family of musicians, McCartney grew up appreciating classical music. This appreciation followed her as she became one half of Garden Party, an indie-folk duo made up of McCartney and musician and friend Jakob Leventhal. Their most popular song, “Mount St. Helens” encompasses a feeling akin to Phoebe Bridgers’ “Garden Song.” Different from her time in Garden Party, “Behind Closed Doors” offers up a clean slate. The difference in sounds shows off McCartney’s ability to seamlessly combine genres, carving out a spot that is uniquely hers. McCartney went on to study jazz in college and play in an R&B band, both of which can be felt in her newest songs.
“Behind Closed Doors” comes on the heels of her first single, “Remember Less.” Reminiscent of the Men I Trust track “Show Me How,” “Remember Less” carries a blues influence, including a smooth guitar solo. The lyrics discuss a lover left behind and the feelings that come with moving on from them.
McCartney described the meaning behind the track, saying “I wrote this song in my college house in Minnesota, thinking about the boy I had just left behind in New York, where I’m from. You can hear me working through the day-by-day loss of the tactile feeling of our time together as his memory got farther away, even as I was trying to convince myself I didn’t care.”
Much like in “Behind Closed Doors,” McCartney’s sound and lyrics capture how it feels to be in the moments she sings about. Released in August, “Remember Less” was the first preview of her new EP, How You Feel. If her two singles are anything to go off of, we’re sure McCartney is an artist you’ll be hearing a lot more of.
