Premiere: Vulnerability Is Beautiful in BETS’ Intimate “Gold”

BETS captures the beauty of vulnerability in the intimate folds of “Gold,” an intense stripping-down of the soul glowing with a deeper connection.

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“I’m opening myself up now,” sings a raw and vulnerable BETS in her new song, “Gold.” “It’s the closest I’ve been to truth.” Her voice is heavy and solemn as she slowly peals back her layers, inching ever-closer to her real, unadulterated, unobstructed self. Vulnerability is as beautiful as it is rare; a kind of magic happens when we fully share ourselves with another being. BETS captures this beauty in the intimate folds of “Gold,” an intense stripping-down of the soul glowing with a deeper connection.

I’m opening myself up now
It’s the closest I’ve been to truth
I’m opening myself up now
It’s a turn on to you

I’ve never been this close somehow
It’s the nearest I’ve been to truth
I’ve never been this close somehow
It’s a turn on to you

Listen: “Gold” – BETS

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Gold,” the second single off BETS’ forthcoming sophomore album, Future Color (out October 26, 2018). The moniker for Brooklyn-based Betsy Hershey, BETS began sharing music over five years ago, releasing her debut album Days Hours Nights in 2015 and a 10-track “shoegaze project” entitled Project Violent Femmes in 2017. Combining strong pop sensibilities with shoegaze and alternative influences, BETS fully owns her sound.

“Gold” dwells in the deep end of emotion, inundated by a lush overdrive that bolsters the artist’s achingly plaintive voice. She sings in the second verse:

The gold is running slowly now
The best year of my life
The gold is running slowly now
It never looked so bright

I’m opening myself somehow
The closest I’ve been to truth
I’m opening myself up now
It’s a turn on to you

“This is a song about being vulnerable,” BETS explains. “About finally getting over stage fright. And what it’s like to open myself up to the world. Amazingly, sometimes getting close to others gets me closer to myself. Music can provide that connection when I’m playing live or sharing songs. For me, making music has a lot of highs and lows, but this chance to connect is the good part. This is Gold.”

For me, making music has a lot of highs and lows, but this chance to connect is the good part. This is Gold.

BETS’ description of music’s connective power is not new; for so many artists, their primary means of self-expression is their art. Songs like “Gold” deliver a deep and nuanced take on life that, in BETS’ case, cannot necessarily be shared through words alone. The song has a distinct weighted texture to it; the slow strum of guitars push on the listener like a stormy cloud. Little can break through this gray, fuzzy haze – except for BETS’ voice. Her words, like those of an angel, come through clearly and calmly, projecting a sweet serenity that counteracts the surrounding soundscape.

Said instrumentation begins to clear toward the song’s end, taking on a graceful melodic shape of its own. What was once a dark barrier now feels like a warm hug. How better can one describe the process of loosening our own barriers and letting someone else in?

Let the gold wash over
Let it inside of you
Let the gold wash over
Now I’m coming just for you

Let the gold wash over
Let it inside of you
Let the gold wash over
Now I’m coming just for you
I’m coming just for you…

True to its name, “Gold” is a dreamy, spellbinding musical journey the likes of which are seldom found in any musical canon. BETS is direct, raw, and real as she fully embraces the deeper connection that comes from sharing your full self with others. Vulnerability may be scary – it’s certainly a rarity in our world – but it’s magnificent and utterly beautiful.

Stream “Gold” exclusively on Atwood Magazine! BETS’ sophomore album Future Color is out 10/26/2018.

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