Letting out jazzy runs, hypnotic hooks, and an unfiltered operatic scream from the gut, Whitney Woerz sparks a physical reaction with every performance in the studio and on stage. With over 135 million YouTube views, 20 million streams, and acclaim from Billboard, Vanyaland, and more, she traces her 2020 10:22pm/Island Records debut back to one such moment and a life-changing realization…
“I fell to the floor,” she recalls. “I discovered my voice, my sound, and my genre in one take. I realized I didn’t have to play by any rules. I could just sing what came naturally. Rather than just touching on it, I’m bringing out what’s underneath the feelings and the sadness. If you analyze my lyrics, they’re real. It’s music that might help you learn something about yourself.”
Whitney discovered herself through music. Singing before she could talk, she enrolled in vocal lessons as early as kindergarten before participating in her first musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a year later. Falling in love with performance, she continued to hone her voice through rigorous traditional training. Studying opera, lyrical, classical, and jazz, her range encompassed an expansive swath of styles.
Facing turmoil in school, she retreated into her art.
“In my hometown, everybody was skinny with straight blonde hair and played sports,” she says. “If you weren’t playing at a high level, you weren’t cool. I got bullied because I did performing arts. Can you believe that? At the time, I was bigger than everyone else and had curly hair. It could be really tough.”
She siphoned that struggle into songs. Retreating to Nashville with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Glenn Rosenstein [Madonna, U2, Talking Heads], she recorded her independent Behind The Smile EP in 2016. Written after a friend admitted to suicidal intent during an online chat, the single “Ghost Story” took off as an anthem of encouragement and empowerment. Citing the song as “one of the most significant moments of my life, because my friend said it saved her,” the accompanying video went viral with 10 million-plus views. Bring Change 2 Mind—the organization founded by Academy® Award nominee Glenn Close—sought her out as an ambassador. Maintaining this momentum, “Love Me Not” racked up over 60 million YouTube views and 4.5 million Spotify streams in 2018. Along the way, she shared the stage with everyone from Jason Mraz and Jesse McCartney to Nina Nesbitt in addition to performing on The Today Show as Elvis Duran’s “Artist of the Month.” During 2019, she fully realized her sonic identity. Striking a balance between jazz phrasing, lo-fi production, and pop power, Whitney introduces a singular style on Sad Love.
“It’s pop fused with jazz influences and urban elements,” she explains. “It’s left-of-center, and it nods to everything I love. I grew up practicing opera. The theatricality is in there. I love standards by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday, so it has some of those elements. It’s quirky like me. I feel like what I’m doing now really represents who I am.”
The lead single and title track “Sad Love” tiptoes between airy keys and a glitchy beat as her soothing vocals give way to a sassy bridge. Meanwhile, her voice ascends to towering heights with an impassioned refrain, “Baby, that’s sad love,” backed by a revival-style call-and-response.
“I was with the only boyfriend I’ve ever had for my junior year of high school,” she remarks. “I was way too in love with him. He became my life. I didn’t even matter anymore. One day, he came over and he told me he didn’t love me anymore. Then, a few months later when I wrote ‘Sad Love,’ I wasn’t healed all the way. But, then I realized I wouldn’t be anywhere if he didn’t break my heart. I became so powerful in my mind that I took all of me back. I finally became myself again. It’s an oxymoron, but the sadness brought me to self-love. You have to break before you can grow.”
Elsewhere on the EP as her journey carried on, lithe guitar wraps entwine with swells of strings as her angelic delivery emanates through “Philophobia.” Once again, she makes a stark confession, “Philophobia means ‘fear of falling in love.’ I’m admitting that I’m scared of meeting my match, getting attached, and giving my heart without getting it back’.” The droning production of “Weirdos” gives way to a schizophrenic performance as her voice flutters between hushed verses and fits of triumphant as she declares, “The odd are getting even.”
“If you’re weird, embrace it,” she continues. “That’s the message of the song. Weird is the new cool. It’s our turn. Back in the day, I was bullied for theater and singing. I’m taking an awful time in my life and adding light again.”
In the end, Whitney might just move you emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
“I want you to take away positive energy, encouragement, and unconditional love,” she leaves off. “That’s the most important thing to me. I want to be a light in the world by being real.”
Bigger Man
Whitney Woerz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
I have always took my seat
Scared too much of a different breed
Dressed in all black,
Enough to stand out
Afraid to reach outWhat if I stood out?
Am I crazy to think that it's all my fault
Just in time in my short, short life
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
And now you're crazy to think you control me
But I'm the bigger man
Oh, I'm the bigger man
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
I don't speak anymore
For I know that I will be wrong
Always play to the rules of your game
Now you have to catch up to mine
Afraid to reach out
What if I stood out?
Am I crazy to think that it's all my fault
Just in time in my short, short life
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
But I'm the bigger man
Oh, I'm the bigger man
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
I cannot hold my own
You don't even deserve my hand
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
And now you're crazy to think you control me
But I'm the bigger man
Oh, I'm the bigger man
Oh, I'm the bigger man
I'm the bigger man
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
The lyrics to Whitney Woerz's song Bigger Man explore themes of standing out, fear of reaching out, and the struggle to find and assert one's own power. Throughout the song, the singer struggles with feeling like she doesn't fit in, dressed in all black, and afraid to stand out. She questions if it's all her fault and if she's crazy for thinking that way. There is a feeling of vulnerability and wanting to belong that permeates throughout the song.
However, there is also a sense of empowerment that emerges as the song progresses. The singer realizes that despite her fear, she is the bigger person in the situation. She asserts her power and control by refusing to speak, playing by her own rules, and recognizing that she doesn't need the other person's validation. The repeated chorus "Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh, I'm the bigger man" is a mantra of self-assurance and strength.
Overall, the song is about the struggle to find self-confidence and assert oneself in relationships and society. The singer grows from a place of insecurity to one of empowerment and strength, recognizing that she doesn't need someone else's approval to define her worth.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Expressing a feeling of complex emotions that cannot be easily put into words.
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Continuing with the expression of mixed emotions.
I have always took my seat
I have always played it safe and not taken risks.
Scared too much of a different breed
I am scared of standing out and being different from others.
Dressed in all black,
I dress in a way that makes me blend in and not stand out.
Enough to stand out
Despite trying to blend in, I still stand out because of the way I dress.
Afraid to reach out
I am scared of making the first move and reaching out to others.
What if I stood out?
I am conflicted about wanting to stand out while also being scared of doing so.
Am I crazy to think that it's all my fault
I am questioning whether or not I am to blame for my situation.
Just in time in my short, short life
Realizing that life is short and I need to take action soon.
And now you're crazy to think you control me
Acknowledging someone trying to control me and realizing how absurd it is.
But I'm the bigger man
Despite feeling scared and overwhelmed, I am choosing to stand up for myself and be the bigger person.
I don't speak anymore
I am tired of voicing my opinions and being shot down.
For I know that I will be wrong
I am scared of being proven wrong and being seen as incompetent.
Always play to the rules of your game
I have been playing by someone else's rules and now it's time for me to set my own rules.
Now you have to catch up to mine
I am setting the tone and making others play by my rules.
I cannot hold my own
I am admitting that I need help and cannot do everything alone.
You don't even deserve my hand
I am choosing not to associate with those who have wronged me.
Oh, I'm the bigger man
Reinforcing that I am choosing to be the bigger person in the situation.
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
A continuation of the expression of complex emotions.
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Finalizing the expression of mixed emotions.
Contributed by Alexandra R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.