Button Up

Ah, how I've missed new music from Dan.

The incredible talent, poet & rapper Dan Whitlam, delivers another spoken word gem called "Button Up". The painfully relatable but also warming lyricism of Dan here is paired with beautiful keys, gentle drum groove & the soothing vocals of Frederick James.

"Button Up" explores the topic of mental health - and more precisely, how difficult it is for men to admit their struggles in front of society. Dan shares the heart-breaking but beautiful story, “At the beginning of this year I sadly lost a friend to a battle he’d been having with his mental health. I went to school with him and we’d been close ever since leaving. After he passed, myself and my school friends all came together and spoke on how we had no idea he was battling like this. How maybe if he’d been able to speak to us or, rather just to anyone, things might have been different. I originally created ‘Button Up’ as a way of remembering him, keeping him close, but now the more I listen to the track the more I’m reminded of how important it is for all men to speak to each other. How this is a track not only of remembrance for my friend but perhaps a reminder for all young men. A reminder to try and speak to each other when you’re suffering instead of buttoning it up. The main message of the track is one of unity. How men of all ages, all walks of life should be allowed and encouraged to speak about their mental health. About their feelings.”

Make sure to also check the music video, it's gorgeous: