Indie Light

Robert Grace is a singer/songwriter and musician from County Kilkenny in Ireland. He has gained significant popularity via his presence on TikTok and makes songs which address complex issues regarding mental health. I’ve previously reviewed his music and you can check that out by clicking here. Today, however, I’ll be reviewing ‘Not OK’ which was released January 13th 2023.

‘Not OK’ starts off fast, blending between the faster, rap style and the softer more melodic sections similar to my thoughts on his other track ‘Fake Fine’, it’s a balance he excels at when performing, and he works well within the beat, the entire song has a good ebb and flow and you just get caught up in the energy of the performance. This was the track that first drew me into the artist. I’ve struggled with ADHD and the racing and chaotic thought processes therein, and rarely have I heard it expressed so succinctly and catchy to boot. It’s an incredibly strong track that shows off not only his lyricism, but his range and vocal talents as well. 

‘Not OK (Acoustic)’ is slower and softer, and as the title suggests is an acoustic rework of ‘Not OK’ and man does it really work. The other track has so much energy and momentum, and that really works to relate the experience of fast paced and frantic thought processes, but this song equally because of the stripped back audio really injects extra emotion and vulnerability into the track, so both manage to succeed in different ways. I couldn’t really pick a superior version because as I said they both work on different levels, but I really like the acoustic version, although I’ve listened to both a bunch of times, so I think it really depends on my mood.

So that’s what I thought of Robert Grace’s single ‘Not OK’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.