“Empty” by Bebe Rexha
According to Bebe Rexha, the backdrop of the lyrics expressed in this song are based on her being a victim of bipolar disorder. This is a subject that she also dealt with on “Break My Heart Myself“, the first track on the playlist of “Better Mistakes”.
But this time around, even though she does once again note a tendency to be her own “worst enemy”, the focus is not really on interpersonal relationships. Instead this is more of an internal affair. That is to say, as the title suggests, that the vocalist feels “empty” on the inside.
Of course making such a claim is a very ambiguous expression. So we have to delve into the lyrics to truly understand what the titular sentiment entails. And actually, Bebe lists a number of characteristics associated with this feeling, besides having a hard time befriending herself.
For instance, she experiences ‘breakdowns’ on a “daily” basis. Also, due to past interpersonal disappointments, she has a difficult time relating to other people. The vocalist also possesses the tendency to “overthink” and ‘obsess’. And others in her life are not privy to what she is going through, as she rocks a “fake smile” to keep them off-guard.
A very depressed Narrator
But now she has grown weary of the charade. Or more specifically, she’s “tired of feeling low”. And yes, dear reader, what all of the above does in fact boil down to is the singer being depressed, whether this sensation is being caused by mental illness or not.
Indeed the fact that Bebe Rexha has been diagnosed with the aforementioned illness is never acknowledged in the lyrics. Verily, the vocalist doesn’t mention suffering from any actual mental disease at all. So even if such a reality is upon which this song is premised, such is never expressed therein. Rather what the narrative comprehensively reads is as if the term “empty” is synonymous with ‘persistent depression’, which by the way does appear to be one of the potential symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Credits for “Empty”
This track was co-produced and co-written by Jussifer in conjunction with fellow European musicians The Six (Pablo Bowman and Richard Boardman). And Rexha, who herself is from New York, also served as a co-writer, as did the widely-used Justin Tranter, hailing from Illinois.
Release Date
“Empty” is one of the tracks offered on “Better Mistakes”, Bebe’s second full-length album. And the release of this project on 7 May 2021 was made possible by the efforts of Warner Records. The entire project was preceded by four single releases. “Empty” wasn’t one of the official singles released.
Below are the four songs Bebe released as official singles in support of “Empty”:
