If I had to choose two words to describe NF's music, it would be "real" and "vulnerable." After listening to just a few of his songs, you'll quickly realize that NF isn't afraid to talk about his emotions. His openness is refreshing in a world where so many people are battling grief, anxiety, and depression, among other struggles. It's therapeutic for me to listen to songs I can relate to and to know that I'm not alone in what I'm going through. NF often refers to his music as his form of "therapy," even naming his 2016 album Therapy Session, which contains a song with the same title.
Nathan Feuerstein, better known by his initials NF, released his first studio album, Mansion, in 2015. Since then, he has released an additional five albums, with the latest being Hope, which was released in 2023. I'm somewhat of a new NF fan, having gotten into his music after he released Clouds (The Mixtape) in 2021. If you're also new to his music, here's a list of seven essential songs to get you started.
"The Search"
I'll start with one of the first NF songs I was introduced to. "The Search" is a single from the 2019 album, also titled The Search. This song resembles a conversation with himself with the first line starting with, "Hey, Nate, how's life?" Throughout the song, you get a taste of NF's transparency with his emotions and what's going on in his mind.
This song and especially these lyrics speak to the things that go on inside our minds: "See, we've all got somethin' that we trapped inside/That we try to suffocate, you know, hopin' it dies/Try to hold it underwater but it always survives/Then it comes up out of nowhere like an evil surprise/Then it hovers over you to tell you millions of lies."
"Just Like You"
Hard times and negative emotions can feel lonely, but we're not alone in our struggles. We often think we're alone in what we're going through, but the truth is that we all go through things, and sometimes we just need to know that there are others in the world just like us.
"It's so impressive, the way the mind can play with the truth/It's interestin' that nobody can walk in your shoes/But still relate and feel the same so in a way, guess we do."
"Mansion"
"Mansion" is the title track of NF's first studio album. NF compares his mind to a mansion where memories and feelings, such as fear and regret, live. The metaphors are deep as the song takes you through various rooms in NF's "mansion."
"And I regret watching these trust issues eat me alive/And at the rate I'm going, they'll probably still be there when I die/Congratulations, you'll always have a room in my mind/The question is, will I ever clean the walls off in time?"
"Hope"
With so many of NF's songs discussing painful emotions, "Hope" serves as a turning point. In this song, he talks about what his definition of success entails and, at the end, lists the feelings he has had in his life for the past thirty years, such as pain, anger, and sorrow.
This song is a reminder that despite difficulties in life, there is hope: "I'm a prime example of what happens when you choose to not accept defeat and face your demons/Took me thirty years to realize that if you want to get the opportunity/To be the greatest version of yourself/Sometimes you got to be someone you're not to hear the voice of reason."
"Happy"
Hurt and pain can last for so long that we let it define us. NF sings that he doesn't know who he would be if he was happy. "Happy" is about acknowledging our struggles and asking for help. With God, we do not have to be defined by these things; we are defined as His.
"I'll be the first to admit that I'm a lonely soul/And the last to admit I need a hand to hold."
"Change"
This song is a testament to the fact that we can be equally desperate for change and terrified of change. So many times, change can be good, but we must get out of our comfort zones first.
"I don't like it when I drift from the safe zone/But lately, I been thinkin' I'ma have to/Lettin' go of things that I'm attached to/World don't stop just because I'm in a bad mood/You don't know what love is 'til you holdin' onto something that you can't lose."
"If You Want Love"
Love doesn't mean that things will always go the way we want. Sometimes, we lose people we love. Sometimes, we disagree with people we love. That's the price of love. It's not easy, but in the end, it's worth it.
"If you want love, you gon' have to go through the pain/If you want love, you gon' have to learn how to change/If you want trust, you gon' have to give some away."
Felicia Holt has been writing for NRT since 2024. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children. She is a lifelong fan of Christian music and enjoys going to concerts and spending time outside with a good book.
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