Michaela Anne's next album, Oh To Be That Free, was created during a pivotal, difficult time period of her life: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was pregnant with her first child while caring for her mother, who'd just suffered a near-fatal hemorrhagic stroke.
Those three life-altering events threw Anne's life priorities and artistic identity into sharp relief. Now, with her next chapter of music, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter finds stark clarity about who she is and what she wants to say — beginning with the album's opening track, "I'm Only Human."
In this episode of Positive Vibes Only, Anne delivers a confident, clear performance of the song, backed only by her acoustic guitar. Anne enunciates every word, repeating the titular message until it feels like less of an admission and more of a battle cry.
"I'm selfish and unstable/ I'm emotional and I'm wild and I'm hateful," she proclaims in the chorus. "I'm jaded when I'm losing/ I never know what the hell I'm doing/ I'm only human."
The song's lyrics are a declaration of self-love, set up as a speech delivered to a romantic partner who's unpleasantly surprised to discover her flaws — even though she's been clear about them since the beginning. There isn't a hint of guilt in Anne's delivery; If anything, she finds freedom in the act of letting go of how others perceive her.
"It feels good not to think of anybody else, not even you/ A do what I want, when I want point of view/ Finally doing the things that I should do," she sings.
As the leading track of Oh To Be That Free, "I'm Only Human" heralds an album full of cathartic, complex reflections on a life that emerges triumphant in the face of adversity. The full project arrives June 10.
Until then, enjoy Anne's performance in the video above, and check GRAMMY.com every Sunday for more episodes of Positive Vibes Only.
Meet Joshua Ray Walker, The Rising Country Singer Rebelling Against Country Music Traditions