In 2015, “Fight Song” was all over the radio, and the world was introduced to Rachel Platten, a pop singer-songwriter who had been working for over 10 years at that point to make her name known in the music industry. The uplifting, optimistic single was the soundtrack for many stories, including Platten’s own. Afterwards, she released her full-length album Wildfire on New Year’s Day 2016, and another titled Waves in 2017. Her next album wasn’t released for another 7 years, with the reason being revealed through social media and the lyrics in her recent singles.
On the outside, Platten appears to be the personification of sunlight; she’s bright, bubbly, and just has that aura about her. In the years that followed the release of Waves, Platten gave birth to her two daughters in 2019 and 2021. She went on tour with Pentatonix just a few months after the birth of her first daughter, even bringing her along for the shows. Platten has always been vocal about mental health and honest about what she is feeling, often writing vulnerable (and sometimes comedic) paragraph-long Instagram captions. She told Robyn Flans of American Songwriter, “I’m allergic to inauthenticity. I hate pretending. Especially going through the journey I did, with my mental health and the dark side of the soul.” She has also been open about how she had postpartum depression, anxiety about being a mom, and just life in general. It was these feelings and more that led the daughter of both a therapist and a psychologist to create I Am Rachel Platten. “A body of work over five years in the making, the album is an artistic journey through peaks and valleys,” according to her website.
The album is made up of 13 songs, with a feature from Michael Bolton on the last track. It is primarily made up of slower pop/folksy songs that are minimalistic in terms of sound. Platten lets her voice take center stage with just a piano or guitar behind her and a couple of other elements to make each song distinct and more heavenly. While most people wouldn’t think of voice cracks as a good thing, Platten is one of the few artists who can make them sound graceful. They have become a signature characteristic of her music and help emphasize the emotions in her songs.
“Girls” was the first single off of the album and is a touching homage to her daughters, whom she encourages to keep their heads held high when they are older and life becomes more difficult. She also lets them know that, even when she is no longer around, she’ll be there for them in some way. It shares a similar message to Platten’s 2018 song “You Belong,” which she wrote when she was pregnant with her first daughter. The next single, “Mercy,” really showcases her vocal range while still managing to be delicate in nature. “Bad Thoughts” and “I Know” were also singles and were both about Platten’s anxiety and intrusive thoughts and how she tries to cope with them.
From stripped-down, emotional songs like “The River” and “Surrendering,” to the unapologetic power ballads “I’ll Be Her,” “I Don’t Really Care (Set Me Free)” and “Caroline,” as well as the heartwarming love songs “Gimme Something,” “Slow December,” “First Day,” and “Need You,” Platten brings a relatable perspective to a music world that is currently consumed by likes and status, something she has been doing much longer than most people know.