Whitney Woerz is an American singer-songwriter based in New York City, New … Read Full Bio ↴Whitney Woerz is an American singer-songwriter based in New York City, New York. She is currently signed with 10:22/Island Records, a sub-label of Universal Music Group. Her music career began with a poem written to a social media friend with suicidal thoughts. Light, positivity, and mental health continue to be prominent themes in her music.

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.”

Idea of Her
Whitney Woerz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You like the idea of her
Just the thought of beauty in your mind
Rip away the skin
See a heart thats just
pumping black blood
You fear all hate and being alone
but hate it when someone
tells you that you are loved

An insecure sadness locked behind a smile
Potential and beauty stuck under it all
Favorite words "attention" why do we give in?
The good side of you remains
in my head
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin
You like the idea of her
Thoughts of fun that comes playing along
Tried to pull me in
Got too close then spit out all alone
You fear all hate and being alone
but hate it when someone
tells you that you are loved
Insecure
Potential and beauty stuck under it all
The good side of you remains
in my head
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin
I don't know her
You don't know her

I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
You like the idea of her
Just the thought of beauty in your mind
Rip away the skin
See a heart thats just
pumping black blood
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin
I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
I don't know her
You don't know her
You like the idea of her
Rip away the skin

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of “You like the idea of her” echo the notion of someone being in love with the idea of love. The song talks about the concept of falling in love with someone's physical appearance or persona, without truly understanding them beyond the surface. The singer mentions the notion of tearing away one's skin, revealing a heart that’s just “pumping black blood”, revealing that the object of affection has flaws just like everyone else.

The song captures the reality of relationships, where there is often a fear of being alone but at the same time resistant to receiving love, perhaps due to a fear of not being good enough. The lines "an insecure sadness locked behind a smile, potential and beauty stuck under it all" reflect the judgemental attitude towards someone who is living with inner turmoil but tries to present a facade of strength. The singer also touches on the topic of attention-seeking behavior, posing the question of why people crave it so much.

Overall, the song represents the harsh reality of modern dating, where people tend to jump into relationships with people they barely know or are not willing to learn beyond their image or impression. Whitney Woerz captures the pressure and vulnerability felt by those who have their worth or value constantly judged by others.

Line by Line Meaning

You like the idea of her
You are attracted to a superficial representation of a woman, rather than getting to know her true self.

Just the thought of beauty in your mind
Your infatuation is based solely on external appearance, rather than personality or character traits.

Rip away the skin
Looking beyond surface-level qualities to see someone for who they really are.

See a heart that's just pumping black blood
Upon closer examination, you discover that the person you are interested in is actually not as perfect as you initially believed.

You fear all hate and being alone, but hate it when someone tells you that you are loved
You struggle with a fear of rejection and abandonment, and may not believe it when someone tries to show you affection.

An insecure sadness locked behind a smile
You seem happy on the outside, but inwardly struggle with insecurity and sadness.

Potential and beauty stuck under it all
The person you are interested in has genuine qualities worth appreciating, but you are too focused on the superficial image to see them.

Favorite words 'attention' why do we give in?
You recognize that the desire for attention and approval can be toxic, but find it hard to resist giving in to this desire.

The good side of you remains in my head
You are capable of being a better person, but are held back by your shallow nature.

Thoughts of fun that comes playing along, tried to pull me in
Initially, you appeared to be exciting and fun to be around, drawing people in with your charisma.

Got too close then spit out all alone
However, upon getting to know you more intimately, others realize that you are not truly interested in genuine connection, and they end up feeling isolated and alone.

I don't know her, You don't know her
Neither you nor the listener know the true person behind the superficial image you have created.

Contributed by Emily C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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