Happie Hoffman — better known by her stage name, HAPPIE — breaks free from the ties that keep her down in "Hallelujah," one of the five songs featured on her debut solo EP, Heartbreak Season.
Formerly one half of the folk duo Eric & Happie, the singer went through a professional and romantic breakup to create her latest batch of music. Her new songs reflect the catharsis, loss and reinvention that have dominated this season of her life.
In this episode of Positive Vibes Only, HAPPIE explores the euphoric freedom of finding yourself again after losing a long-term love. Seated in a studio, flanked by two backing musicians and an oversized, bright red boa, HAPPIE delivers a jazzy performance of "Hallelujah," with lyrics that find the positive at the end of a personal crisis.
"Feelin' myself and I'm covered in gold/ Leavin' behind all the lies that you told," HAPPIE sings in the chorus. "Feel the adrenaline, losin' control/ Lookin' for something to keep me afloat."
In her new career as a solo artist, HAPPIE braids new stylistic elements with some of the musical identity that she first established during her time in a duo.
Over the course of her career, she has become a prominent musical figure in the Jewish community, serving as the cantorial soloist for Temple Israel in Memphis — one of the oldest and largest congregations of its kind in the U.S.
Eric & Happie toured the world with musical messages of peace and healing, making stops in places particularly meaningful to the Jewish community: Auschwitz, Russia, the UN and more.
Now, she's bringing some of those elements forward into her next musical chapter. "My Jewish music was vulnerable, and letting people know they are not alone," she explains in a statement. "In some ways, this new music is no different — it's about being open — but I am writing about my heart, so these songs are personal in a different way."
Press play on the video above to get a taste of HAPPIE's next musical chapter, and keep checking GRAMMY.com every Sunday for new episodes of Positive Vibes Only.
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