Olivia O'Brien delivers a frank message in her new single "Better Than Feeling Lonely"

The Los Angeles singer-songwriter Olivia O'Brien fully inhabits that space on her latest release, the early-night confession "Better Than Feeling Lonely," a song that could feel as personal and close to them as a midnight confession, while also broad enough to speak to heartbreak itself. It is an uncomfortable, almost wretched feeling that balances the anxiety of choosing a safe choice over enduring loneliness.

Adding another layer of authenticity to the song is the time it takes to be released. Originally teased in June 2020 and revisited last December with a frank message to fans about the track's readiness for release, "Better Than Feeling Lonely" has a sense of perseverance. That tension saturates the music with a raw, shaded elegance.

"Better Than Feeling Lonely" hits because it recognizes a reality that few want to admit, sometimes the fear of loneliness is worse than not wanting something real. Olivia O'Brien brings something human to the table. "Better Than Feeling Lonely" is an expression of the soft compromises we enter into between our personal lives and the emotions we never vocalize.

Follow Olivia O'Brien on Instagram