Premiere: Basking in the Young & Free Energy of Hazlett’s “Monsters”

Hazlett © Emil Daniel
Hazlett © Emil Daniel
Singer/songwriter Hazlett captures freedom and possibility in “Monsters,” a heartwarmingly intimate song that says it’s okay to not know where we’re going; we can just be, and that’s okay.
Stream: “Monsters” – HAZLETT




We’re all human so that means we can all be Monsters too from time to time and that’s okay.

It’s okay to not know what you want; it’s okay to drift from person to person, place to place, living and loving and experiencing life. After all, we’re only human – given brains and bodies, but never quite told what to do with them during our time here. Singer/songwriter Hazlett captures freedom and possibility in “Monsters,” a heartwarmingly intimate song that says it’s okay to not know where we’re going; we can just be, and that’s okay.

Monsters - Hazlett © 2020
Monsters – Hazlett
Celebration,
Good wine wasted on the walls,
One time gowns to wipe it off,
Warm vibrations,
Hungry kisses in the halls,
Cheating hearts and Russian dolls
We’re not going to get no sleep,
Darkness moves over so discreetly

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “Monsters,” Hazlett’s mesmerizing 2019 single that has already racked up a stunning 300,000+ global streams in under two months. Already an Atwood Editor’s Pick, Australian singer/songwriter Hazlett stunned me into silence this past August with the song “Suncats,” described at the time as “a touching acoustic number that finds light in the darkness, beauty in the everyday.”

Whereas “Suncats” echoed a breath of life, “Monsters” radiates with the energy of youth. “A new bar opened up in my hometown that became the place to go,” Hazlett recalls. “I’ve never been much of a social butterfly, but found myself following the crowd too. I started to notice the same people there week in week out, usually hooking up with someone different each time or even with someone who I thought their friend was with the week before.”

“There were tears, crowded cubicles, fisty-cuffs and what felt like a soap opera at every corner. But then I caught myself judging and I absolutely hated myself for it. We’re all just young and trying to figure it out, right? We’ve all done horrible things, but that doesn’t make us horrible people, right? If our hearts eventually land in the right place, who am I to judge how we get there? We’re all human so that means we can all be Monsters too from time to time and that’s okay.”

Hazlett © 2020
Hazlett © 2020



If our hearts eventually land in the right place, who am I to judge how we get there?

“Monsters” isn’t a sermon on doing good or being good; it doesn’t tell us how we should live, or what we should spend our time doing. Hazlett recognizes that much of the time, we have to fail in order to succeed: When it comes to growing up, learning from our mistakes is the easiest way to move forward and do better.

Hazlett sings a beautiful message of self-discovery in the chorus, absolving us of wrongdoing done in the process of growing up:

Are we monsters,
Led by the things we wanted,
Longing to be more honest,
Desperate to find whats,
Haunting us haunting us

Are we still in the wrong if we sleep with our best friend’s ex? Probably, yes. Does that make one a “bad person”? No; one bad act does not a bad person make. We see this message play out in the heated “Monsters” music video, directed by Sara Josefsson. Capturing a litany of intimate moments shared between various couples, the video contrasts and connects individuality and intimacy, highlighting the role intimacy plays in our lives while recognizing that each of us is an immeasurably complex being with a range of emotions, ideas, drives, and desires. Whether we’re dancing around the kitchen in our undergarments or getting hot and heavy with someone special – or someone who makes us feel special in the moment – we are not defined by any one behavior, statement, or aspect of our multi-faceted lives. Hazlett and Josefsson succeed at creating a seductive musical and visual experience for their audience.

Any day now,
Moon beams will come rescue you,
If you’re open to the truth,
Time to come out,
It’s hard to find the chemistry,
Cloaked with insecurity
We’re not going to get no sleep,
Darkness moves over so discreetly,

As for “Monsters,” Hazlett’s latest song is a touching reflection on what it means to be human: To be free and forever young, indulging in life as we discover ourselves. Are we monsters, led by the things we wanted? Longing to be more honest; desperate to find what’s haunting us? No, we’re not monsters. We’re only human.

And we are beautiful.

Are we monsters,
Led by the things we wanted,
Longing to be more honest,
Desperate to find what’s
Haunting us haunting us
Stream: “Monsters” – HAZLETT



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Monsters - Hazlett © 2020

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