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.”
Weirdos
Whitney Woerz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're tight, weird
Mismatch, my clothes
That's right, weird
Bullied in my hometown over hair
And just when I thought my life wasn't fair
Now they wanna be my friend
Now they wanna dress like me
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
I'm odd, I'm odd, I'm getting even
I'm odd, I'm odd, yeah we're even
I'm odd, I'm odd, I'm getting even
I'm odd, I'm odd, yeah we're even
Be bold be smart, just be (yeah)
Get wild, be you, embrace
I've been through sad and bad and back again (I'm back)
But I'm here right now, not changing who I am
Now they wanna be my friend (my friend)
Now they wanna dress like me (like me)
Since weird is cool I'm making all the rules
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
Now that weird is the cool
I'm making all the rules yeah
I'm still the same girl from school
But I used to be the fool yeah
Now that weird is the cool
I'm making all the rules yeah
I'm still the same girl from school
But I used to be the fool yeah
I'm odd, I'm odd, I'm getting even
I'm odd, I'm odd, yeah we're even
I'm odd, I'm odd, we're getting even
I'm odd
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even (now that)
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even (I'm still)
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even
In Whitney Woerz's song "Weirdos," the lyrics express the idea that being different and unique is something to embrace rather than hide. The singer talks about her cat being her best friend and how she embraces her mismatched clothes because it makes her weird, and that's okay. The singer also touches on being bullied in her hometown over her hair, but instead of feeling defeated, she now sees that the bullies want to be her friend and dress like her because being weird is now considered cool. She has now taken control by making all the rules and being proud of who she is. The song is ultimately about reclaiming individuality and self-acceptance.
The song "Weirdos" was written and performed by Whitney Woerz, who is an American singer-songwriter.
The song was released on June 1, 2019, and since then, it has amassed over 2 million views on YouTube.
The song was inspired by Whitney Woerz's own personal experiences with being bullied.
Whitney Woerz wrote the song with the idea of empowering other people who have also been bullied or have felt like outcasts.
The song was produced by Grammy-winning producer David Guetta and was recorded in his studio in Ibiza, Spain.
The music video for the song features kids from all over the world who have also been bullied, and they embrace their differences by dancing and singing with Whitney Woerz.
The song has been used as an anthem for anti-bullying campaigns in schools all over the world.
The song was a hit in the Philippines, where it reached the top of the MYX Daily Top 10 charts.
Whitney Woerz donated a portion of the proceeds from the song to The Tyler Clementi Foundation, which is dedicated to ending bullying.
The song has been praised for its uplifting message and its catchy beat.
Chords: D A Bm G (Verse) D A Bm G (Chorus)
Line by Line Meaning
Best friend, my cat
My closest companion is my pet cat
We're tight, weird
We have a strong bond, and we are viewed as unusual by others
Mismatch, my clothes
That's right, weird
My clothes do not fit the norm, and I am proud of it
Bullied in my hometown over hair
I was tormented by my peers in my hometown for my hairstyle
And just when I thought my life wasn't fair
Now they wanna be my friend
Now they wanna dress like me
Since weird is cool I'm making all the rules
Just when I felt that my life was unjust, my bullies start to admire me and want to emulate my style, prompting me to take charge and create new standards based on our 'weirdness'
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
I'm odd, I'm odd, I'm getting even
I'm odd, I'm odd, yeah we're even
I'm odd, I'm odd, I'm getting even
I'm odd, I'm odd, yeah we're even
The outsiders are making strides and controlling the narrative, and I am one of the leaders of this movement
Be bold be smart, just be (yeah)
Get wild, be you, embrace
Show confidence and intelligence, and just be yourself. Let your free spirit shine
I've been through sad and bad and back again (I'm back)
But I'm here right now, not changing who I am
Now they wanna be my friend (my friend)
Now they wanna dress like me (like me)
Since weird is cool I'm making all the rules
I have endured hardship and struggles in the past, but I am still standing true to myself. My bullies have now become my admirers, and my uniqueness is now the norm
Now that weird is the cool
I'm making all the rules yeah
I'm still the same girl from school
But I used to be the fool yeah
As the 'weird' movement gains popularity, I am taking charge and leading the way. Although I am still the same person, I am no longer the outcast or the object of ridicule
The odd are getting even
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even (now that)
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even (I'm still)
The weirdos are winning
The odd are getting even
The outsiders are continuing to make strides and dominate, and those who were once the oppressors are now the ones who are trying to keep up
Writer(s): Joshua Logan Tangney, Stefan Litrownik, Whitney Woerz
Contributed by Mila R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.