Songfacts®:

• "Scared To Start" is the second single released by Cincinnati singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi and his first since signing to Warner Brothers.
• The song delves into the emotional tug-of-war between the comfort of familiarity and the allure of the unknown. It centers on a hesitant young woman, portrayed through evocative imagery like an "old dress" and "dead grass," symbolizing her reluctance to embrace change.
  
  Despite her pessimism, fueled by friends' talk of a "world ending," the girl experiences a subtle shift. She awakens from a melancholic slumber and joins Marcagi in his car, suggesting a burgeoning desire for something different.
• And she said
  "Don't you wait to try it
  Are you scared to find it?
  And do you wanna take my broken heart?
  Are you scared to start?"
  
  The chorus is where the song truly ignites. Here, the girl transforms from a passive observer to a bold instigator. She challenges Marcagi, urging him with questions like "Are you scared to find it?" testing his willingness to match her newfound courage. The metaphor of a "broken heart" adds a layer of vulnerability, signifying her willingness to risk further emotional exposure in pursuit of something unknown.
  
  "'Scared to Start' is a song for the adventurers, the travelers, and the people who look forward without dwelling on the uncertainties of life," Marcagi said of the track. "It's about taking the risks and putting yourself out of your comfort zone, regardless of what the rest of the world has to say."
• Michael Marcagi co-wrote "Scared To Start" with Andrew "AJ" Yorio, the guitarist in Marcagi's former band, The Heavy Hours. David Baron (The Lumineers, Jade Bird, The Heavy Hours) produced the song.
• Marcagi started haring snippets of "Scared To Start" on TikTok in November 2023.
  Marcagi's manager, Alex Brahl, remembers the exact moment the song took off. It was a clip featuring Marcagi strumming his guitar in a field of brown grass, singing the line "let's lay in the dead grass, stare at the stars."
  
  Uploaded to TikTok as a teaser on the morning of December 19, 2023, it seemed like just another post. But after lunch, Brahl and Marcagi returned to a small miracle – 10,000 views.
  
  "I remember talking to Michael and being like, 'What if we wake up tomorrow and it has 50,000?'" Brahl told Billboard. Little did they know, it would explode far beyond that. By the next day, the view count had skyrocketed to 100,000, fueled by the song's organic appeal.
  
  This unexpected virality caught the attention of several labels. Brahl wasted no time and started sending the clip around. By Christmas Eve, they had a decision to make. With lots of options on the table, Marcagi and his team ultimately chose Warner Records as their new label home. The ink barely dried on the deal signed in the first week of January before "Scared To Start" was released as a single the following week. Social media had spoken, and Marcagi's career was ready to take flight.