Introduction:
Kane Brown Opens Up About Depression and Healing on The High Road
Kane Brown has never shied away from difficult themes in his music, but on his new album, The High Road, he digs deeper than ever before. Among its most powerful moments is “Haunted,” a haunting duet with Jelly Roll that has already emerged as a fan favorite. The song finds the two stars trading verses about depression with striking honesty.
Brown recently spoke candidly about the track in a moving Instagram video, where he revealed just how personal the subject matter is for him.
“Anybody that’s going through depression, man, it is not a joke,” Brown said directly to fans. “And if you don’t understand depression or went through it before, you’re not going to. When I tell you I have felt like this since 2019, I feel like a weight has been lifted off me.”
The “Heaven” hitmaker also shared that he has been nicotine-free for nearly a month, realizing only recently how much it had impacted his emotions. “I did not know that it suppressed emotions,” he admitted.
Perhaps most strikingly, Brown revealed that he has struggled with feelings of worthlessness for over five years. “I felt like the scum of the earth since 2019,” he confessed, before adding with relief, “and now I am so happy, I am so excited for this journey that I’m about to go on. I’ve got the old KB back, baby!”
Gratitude and Renewal
In the same message, Brown grew emotional while thanking fans, his team, and his collaborators for supporting him through both highs and lows. “I want to say thank y’all for the support that y’all have given me for nine to ten years. Love y’all so much. Everybody that’s worked for me, worked with me, writers, labels, radio, fans—God bless y’all, man. I love y’all so much, and I’m proud to say I’m back.”
Looking ahead, Brown promised that 2025 will be a landmark year as he takes The High Road tour on the road. “It’s gonna be a hell of a year. I can’t wait to see y’all on the road,” he said, his voice brimming with hope.
Writing From Darkness
Brown also shared the story behind “Haunted,” written during a stay at Manchester’s historic Stock Exchange Hotel. Its eerie, vault-like rooms gave him and his co-writers the title before they even began. “It felt haunted,” Brown explained. “And you know, no matter how much money you make, no matter what you go through in life, if you go through depression, you do kind of feel haunted because you can’t escape it. You have to kind of find your way out.”
That same raw honesty shaped other moments on the record, including “When You Forget,” a heartbreaking ballad about his grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Brown has even hinted that another album could be on the horizon, proving that his creative fire is far from dimming.
A Voice of Solidarity
By sharing his battles so openly, Kane Brown has given his fans something more than just music—he has given them solidarity. His vulnerability is a reminder that depression can affect anyone, even those at the height of fame. And now, with The High Road, Brown has turned his pain into connection, his struggles into songs, and his healing into hope.