NYC-based art-pop singer/songwriter Bridget Barkan has just released her new song, Good Things. “My intention writing this song was to get myself out of deep, heavy, painful feelings and move towards the light,” the singer shared.
Sonically glam/pop meets Grizzly Bear meets Pat Benatar, this “actress of music” and former Scissor Sisters backup singer says, “theatrical performance is always there for music videos, and my dance background always finds its way back in, as well.”
Emotionally weighted by personal tragedies, loss, and challenges exacerbated by the events of October 7, 2023 and the ongoing war in Gaza, Bridget was mired deep in a dark place. “I was going through a lot emotionally and personally that October, as were a lot of people in the world with the attack on October 7th and the impending war,” she explains. “All that I was going through personally exploded out of me, and I found connections between a lot of the experiences: the duality of sorrow and relief, as well as the heart’s true compassion… No matter the perspective, you can see that many truths exist at the same time.”
Losing her father (the celebrated songwriter/producer Marcus Barkan who wrote for Nat King Cole, Lesley Gore and even wrote the Banana Splits theme song “Tra La La”, among many others) during the pandemic meant she had to struggle with the loss in isolation due to the quarantine. Bridget also suffered a great deal of personal trauma in the last year from a miscarriage and a difficult breakup. “Good Things” finds her emerging from the grief to celebrate life and overcome all this hardship. The accompanying video is an incredibly beautifully shot and dramatized expression of the song, really showcasing her artistry and vision, capturing the beauty and wonder in life while also grappling with the inevitable pain- reminding everyone they are not alone.
Written from a 5-step songwriting process Bridget invented as a songwriting workshop instructor at Carnegie Hall where, for the last seven plus years, she has taught incarcerated youth and NYC teachers, “Good Things” holds onto the glimmer of light in a dark and hardened world.
