Columbia Records NY/Sony Music Nashville artist-songwriter Alana Springsteen announces the July 14 release of TWENTY SOMETHING: Figuring It Out – the daringly honest second installment of her three-part debut album, TWENTY SOMETHING. An up-close look at her journey toward the life-changing empowerment of true self-discovery, Figuring It Out features tell-all title track “twenty something”: a confessional and candidly detailed piece of self-reflection premiering today (4/28). Listen to “twenty something” and pre-save/pre-add TWENTY SOMETHING: Figuring It Out here. Check out the visualizer for “twenty something.”
Figuring It Out follows the release of TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up – the widely acclaimed first installment to TWENTY SOMETHING, on which the 22-year-old Virginia Beach, VA, native opened up about all the mistakes and misadventures of early adulthood (listen to TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up here). Now, on this six-track collection of soul-baring songs all co-penned by Springsteen, she sheds light on the steps she’s taken to shake off her insecurities, lean into life’s endless contradictions, and learn what she truly needs to be happy and healthy. “Figuring It Out explores a lot of the work I’ve been doing on myself over the past few years – I really call myself out in these songs,” admits Springsteen. “Finding my true self has meant giving up on seeing things in black-and-white and getting comfortable with the gray. What does it mean to live with integrity? To have a strong moral compass? Defining these concepts for myself has been a process, but one that’s given me the beginnings of a blueprint to help me live life on my own terms. The journey of writing, recording, and singing these songs live has helped me do that. Through them, I’ve gotten to know myself and so many people who are in various stages of doing the same work. Also, there’s a really unique collaboration on this project with a song called ‘ghost in my guitar’ that I’m insanely excited about and proud of. It still feels a little surreal. I can’t wait to tell that story.”
Although Figuring It Out confronts such complex issues as fractured friendships, post-heartbreak healing, and struggles with self-worth, Springsteen brightens every song with her magnetic voice and sing-along-ready hooks – not to mention, her one-of-a-kind gift for crafting highly specific lyrics that resonate on a near-universal level. A perfect example of that dynamic, “twenty something” brings both diary-like detail and whip-smart humor to an intimate account of the nonstop emotional roller coaster of life in your 20s. Sparked from a voice memo she recorded alone on piano, the quietly soaring track finds Springsteen owning up to all her flaws – including everything from minor bad habits like letting her car run on fumes to more deep-rooted problems like imposter syndrome – and ultimately speaks to the power and peace of mind that comes with fully embracing your imperfections.
As Springsteen reveals, “twenty something” took shape in a session with co-writers Liz Rose (a multi-Grammy Award-winning hitmaker whose songwriting credits include iconic hits like Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”), AJ Pruis, and Trannie Anderson, during a retreat at Rose’s beach house. “Liz looked at me and asked, ‘If there was one song that you could play for people that could tell them exactly where you are in your life right now, what would it be?’ ‘twenty something’ was the only answer,” Springsteen recalls. “It’s one of those songs that started falling out because it’s what I desperately needed to say – for myself and for so many twenty-somethings out there who were probably going through the same things I was. I’ve been on so much of a high the last few years, living my best life. And every now and then – more often than I’d like – something happens that reminds me just how much living I have left to do. We think we have everything figured out, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. ‘twenty something’ has sparked some insightful conversations with friends and strangers all over the world, and there seems to be one universal truth that’s come out of those interactions: no matter how old you are, you never really have everything figured out. There’s always something out there ready to humble you.”
Co-produced with Chris LaCorte (Sam Hunt, Cole Swindell) and built on a bracingly vulnerable vocal performance from Springsteen who also gets acoustic guitar and piano credits, “twenty something” unfolds in ethereal textures, stark guitar tones, gorgeous swells of strings, and soul-stirring harmonies – an element that lends an undeniable potency to the song’s unforgettable refrain: “We know it all and don’t know nothing / At twenty something.” “The strings were a very important part of this track,” Springsteen shares. “They’re so anthemic and add such a weight to a song like this. I also love that we stripped everything out before the outro and let the song end with just me on piano. I love the symbolism of it: at the end of the day, your life experience is yours alone. It’s on you to figure out how to live your life to the fullest.”
ALANA SPRINGSTEEN’S TWENTY SOMETHING: Figuring It Out TRACK LIST
1. “twenty something” (Alana Springsteen, Liz Rose, AJ Pruis, Trannie Anderson)*
2. “chameleon” (Alana Springsteen, Sasha Alex Sloan, King Henry)+
3. “here's to all my exes” (Alana Springsteen, Will Weatherly, Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins)^
4. “hypocrite” (Alana Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Will Weatherly, Ryan Beaver)*
5. “when we were friends” (Alana Springsteen, Sasha Alex Sloan, Pete Good)#
6. “ghost in my guitar” (Alana Springsteen, Ido Zmishlany, Delacey, Sarah Solovay)**
* Produced by Chris LaCorte and Alana Springsteen
+ Produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Alana Springsteen
^ Produced by Will Weatherly and Alana Springsteen
# Produced by Pete Good and Alana Springsteen
** Produced by Ido Zmishlany and Alana Springsteen
For Springsteen, the unfiltered self-expression of “twenty something” sets the tone for her entire debut album – a landmark project whose three installments each capture a distinct phase of twenty-something life. Released last month, Messing It Up proved to be a wildly compelling first chapter to the LP. To that end, Messing It Up delivered such irresistibly eclectic tracks as “you don’t deserve a country song” (hailed by Billboard as having “all the bite”), “shoulder to cry on” (with Holler claiming that it “perfectly exhibits Springsteen's ability to craft artful twists into her vulnerable songwriting”), and “goodbye looks good on you (feat. Mitchell Tenpenny)” (American Songwriter’s “Pick of the Day” and spotted across high-profile roundups for E! News, CMT, and more).
With her latest triumphs including making her highly anticipated return to the Grand Ole Opry last month, Springsteen continues her run as the special guest on Adam Doleac’s ‘BARSTOOL WHISKEY WONDERLAND’ TOUR, and is gearing up to support Luke Bryan’s COUNTRY ON TOUR 2023 this summer. For a full list of tour dates and ticketing information, please visit AlanaSpringsteen.com.
