Effortlessly

Album: Life Support (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Madison Beer has struggled with mental health issues throughout her life and has previously tried to harm herself. When she was finally diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2019, it came as a relief to the New York singer-songwriter because it gave her some clarity on why she's a certain way. This song sees Beer exploring how during her mental health battles she appreciated the value of everyday activities she'd previously taken for granted.

    "The lyrics of that song are basically saying how I used to do everything so effortlessly, I took smiling and getting out of bed for granted and now I literally don't have the energy or need to move. All I wanted to do was isolate," Beer explained to NME. "It was your typical depressed human being, and I was very grateful that I had a reason to be like 'You need to go to the studio today' and I'm grateful for that."
  • Beer was prescribed antidepressants for her mental health issues, which she seems unsure about in this song. During the verses, she wonders how "a little pill" can fix her problems, and is isn't thrilled with being filled up with "chemicals."
  • Beer released the song on her album Life Support, which has a theme of mental health running through it. "Stained Glass," inspired by public scrutiny, is a message for people to be gentler on others, and the record concludes with "Everything Happens For A Reason," where Beer sings of finding the strength to deal with the roller coaster of life.
  • This was the toughest song on the album for Beer to write and record, as it was close to the time when she'd reached her lowest point. "I was just in a horrible place," she recalled to MTV News, "and I remember I couldn't even form a sentence."

    The day Beer conceived the song, she was in the studio with co-writers Lowell and Paul Shelton, and producer Leroy "Big Taste" Clampitt. She spent hours talking "about how I took the simple things for granted, [like] being able to smile without having to force it." When she said, "I used to do all these things so effortlessly," one of the co-writer's responded, "That's a really dope song concept," and they started writing the song immediately.
  • Madison told NME how making the album provided her with a much-needed escapism after psychiatrists had diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

    "I was going through a really tough time when we were making this album. I had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, I was in and out of dark mental states and in therapy three times a week," she said, adding that creating the album "was my life support."

    "It kept me alive," she said. "I found a passion and something that felt good. I was like, this is a reason to live and this is enough. I can be here for this."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.