Grade: 3.5/5.0
If a memoir could take the form of an album, it would be Clinton Kane’s newest album. Following his breakthrough in 2020 with “I Don’t Want To Watch the World End with Someone Else,” Kane has since pushed the envelope on his artistic growth. After being teased with snippets of unreleased songs on Kane’s ever-growing TikTok account, fans have at last been met with a full album. Released July 22, Maybe Someday It’ll All Be Okay is the culmination of Kane’s repaired strength in overcoming a lifetime’s worth of heartbreak.
In the Instagram announcement of his highly anticipated album, Kane opened up about the traumatic losses of his mother, father and brother in 2021 that led to his inconsistencies in releasing music. Grappling with hospital bills and virtual funerals, Kane surrendered to stepping away from the limelight to cope and recover. But now, with a healing heart, Kane finally sees the “bright light at the end of the tunnel” — and it is in this album.
“14,” the album’s opener, represents Kane at his finest. It is an impassioned and sincere stream of consciousness exploring what it means to find oneself. In an open letter, Kane chronicles his childhood experiences of never finding a place of security and belonging. But, “14” erases every bit of doubt he had about himself and instead embraces the little things he used to tightly shut away. Kane draws inspiration from his own self-acceptance journey to remind his listeners to pursue an unapologetic version of themselves.
Following “14,” Kane delves into the pitiful position of being second place in someone else’s heart on “Cold.” As he wears his torn heart on his sleeve, Kane sings, “I’m all in, but I’m a chance you’ll never take.” Unrequited love is one of the most painful feelings to experience, and “Cold” masterfully unravels this space between lovers and friends — how hard it can be to let go of the desperate hope that one day things may change.
Where “Cold” is an unrequited relationship’s anthem, “I Guess I’m In Love” is the complete opposite. Casting away all the hardships of navigating romance, Kane dedicates this ode to the magic of being in love. It is the musical personification of having butterflies in one’s stomach and the rush of being head over heels for someone. “I Guess I’m In Love” is a refreshing breath Kane takes on a deeply personal album.
Arguably the most popular track on the album is the 2021 single “Chicken Tendies.” In this track, Kane recounts his damaged relationship with his mother. He acknowledges in a TikTok about how his mother’s devotion to God and her religion irreversibly shattered his bond with her. With a nuanced and mature outlook, Kane composed “Chicken Tendies” not to shame her, but to still wish her well, even if they lost their connection. As he sings, “I hope He’s home for you even though I had to lose you,” it’s hard not to tear up. Later, he beautifully honors her passing in “One More Day With You.”
The last song of the album, “I Wish I Could Hate You For Breaking Me and Calling It Love,” is Kane’s cry to his broken relationship with his father. Kane reveals that his father abandoned him when he was younger and left him feeling like he was not enough. This final track paints the messiness of it all and the painful emotions coupled with it.
Maybe Someday It’ll All Be Okay is the product of Kane’s transparent vulnerability on display. Each song is a building block for Kane to reach a sense of clarity and solace in his past. Every lyric he sings, every note he belts is genuine as he pours out everything he’s ever felt into these nine songs. Kane has channeled the most tragic parts of life into a stunning work of art. With this long-awaited album, listeners will fall deeper in love with Kane and all that he shares with the world.
