TikTok changed the music industry in a variety of ways and it’s no different for rising artist Zach Hood. Alabama born and raised, Hood, who is now Los Angeles-based, had a whirlwind year in 2021 between signing a record deal with Arista Records and the popular video app skyrocketing his fame. He released six singles that racked up over 70 million streams and placements on the Global 50 Chart, Pop Rising, and Radar US.
The singer/songwriter has dropped his newest track “never knew a heart could break itself,” an irresistibly heartbreaking track. In a press release, Hood shared, “This song is about breaking up with someone but slowly regretting my decision while she has moved on. Then, I’m left feeling incredibly stuck. I can’t take the photos of us off the shelf. I can’t get past the relationship. But I don’t want to selfishly intervene in her life and mess up anything good happening for her. The photos and memories are all that I have left.”
Carrying an authentic message of a broken heart, the emotionally charged track features gentle production along with Hood’s angelic vocals. The lyrics for this track captivate listeners from the very start and it’s easy to picture what he’s going through.
“I hope you’re happy / But I miss you madly / Don’t hold it against me / But I’m not even close to / Letting you go yet / Reality’s frozen / ‘Cause I can’t take the photos / of us off the shelf,” he sings. The heartbreak is real, painful and relatable. Heartbreak in any form is hard to go through and unavoidable. Eventually all of it will make sense — you will see that you needed to go through it in order to push yourself and most importantly to build your strength. The roller coaster of emotions that you feel post heartbreak is what drives you to grow a thicker skin. Regret is tough but in the end you need to do what’s best for both of you even if it hurts. You’ll always have the memories, the good and bad ones.
Prior to the release “never knew a heart could break itself,” nearly 5K videos were shared on TikTok using the teaser. Hood knows how to make noise and resonate with Gen-Z fanbases and beyond. He has a long and exciting career ahead of him. He is truly smiling wide as he continues to perfect his craft. His next big move is a performance spot at popular music festival Hangout Fest in May.