Courage to Connect

I’m scared to love, ’cause I’m scared to lose, ’cause I’ve seen the damage love can do. Is it worth the risk, ’cause what if, what if? 

Hope Watson, a junior public relations major, doesn’t beat around the bush with these opening lines of her newly released song, “Worth the Risk,” her second song release of her newest Extended Play (EP) collection.  

“Worth the Risk” is saturated with Watson’s unique heartfelt style, a style that beautifully illustrates indie. As I listened to the beginning lyrics, I realized how much this song could resonate with people who struggle with the pain of getting hurt by love.  

I don’t want to lose, but I’m meant to, ’cause I was made to love. Wish I could choose, not able to, ’cause I was made to love. 

Watson’s personal style reaches for the hearts of all her listeners, but it helped me realize that maybe the reason why her music is so powerful is the fact that she is willing to be vulnerable about her experiences and feelings through her songs. Being vulnerable, though, is sometimes perilous in our cancel-prone culture. Is being vulnerable worth the risk? 

Maybe we’re doomed, maybe we’re through, but I was made to love, and maybe it blooms. 

Watson has been creating music for 6 years. Some of her most popular releases are “Blotted Lipstick Stains,” “Let You Go,” “Helium Head” and “Graffiti Eyes”.  

Her indie pop and rock style through these songs explores personal themes such as love, loss, heartbreak and friendship.  

Watson’s love for music started in her 8th grade choir, where she learned to be confident in her music. When Covid-19 swept through the world and shut everyone in their homes, she taught herself to play the ukulele and guitar and write her own songs. 

“I was looking at other inspirations of young women who were writing songs, like Grace VanderWaal,” Watson said. “ And I was just like, if she can do that, then I can write a song. Like, how hard can it be? And so, through Covid, I started playing music and writing songs… So I’ve been doing it for six years.”  

I want to love, but I’m scared to lose, but I’ve seen the good that love can do. Might be worth the risk, ’cause what it, what if? 

Watson described her focus throughout her songs as a mission to connect with her listeners on a personal level, to help bring them hope through whatever hardship they are going through.  

Sitting across from her in a warmly lit Modero, I could see this focus also in her daily life. Her eye contact, her smile, and her thoughtful responses and questions shows her love for others and her passion in connecting with people. 

 I don’t want to lose, but I’m meant to, ’cause I was made to love. Wish I could choose, not able to, ’cause I was made to love. 

Her music reflects her passion for heartfelt connection, and with her mission in mind, Watson continues to be confident enough to be vulnerable with her emotions through song, which requires a lot of trust in her listeners.  

“You know, it’s hard to balance it all sometimes,” Watson said, “because it’s like songwriting is such an intrinsic thing and such a personal thing, but then if you’re making it your career, it becomes extrinsic, and so you have to be careful with what you put out into the world.” 

Maybe we’re doomed, maybe we’re through 

Watson described how at one of her performance gigs, she played a song that didn’t necessarily match the mood of the other performers and was worried that it would not be well received.  

But afterwards, an audience member came up to her to tell her that they loved her song and resonated with it.  

That was exactly what Watson wanted to do with her music.  

But I was made to love, and maybe it blooms. Maybe it blooms, maybe it blooms. 

Being vulnerable and expressing yourself in music can be daunting, because there is always the fear of getting backlash for it. Watson, though, knows not to take it personally. 

Is it worth the risk? ‘Cause what if? What if? What if I find? What if I find? 

“You want to connect with people,” Watson said. “Because that’s what makes music so cool, is the kindred spirit of having the same experience, but also completely different at the same time. It’s really cool when people can connect with a song. It means the world to me.”  

It is worth it to Watson to be confident enough to bring hope to anyone who hears her songs. 

Maybe it blooms. Maybe it blooms. 

Watsons next song release in the EP, “Magazine,” will be released within the next month or so.  

Watson expressed hopes to book more gigs locally and even organize a small tour of the states hopefully by next summer to build her stage presence.  

We will see where her love of connection in real life and in her music takes her.  

Maybe it blooms…

And in the meantime, we can listen. 

Maybe it blooms.