despite the Weight Of It All, the Kid In The Crown won’t CRY WOLF over a Dying Art!

Hello, my favorite Monday peeps! Happy Labor Day! Can you believe we’ve already made our way into September?! I swear I blinked and August disappeared. 😂

Summer may be unofficially winding down, but hopefully you’re enjoying this three-day weekend and squeezing in a little extra relaxation before Tuesday comes along pretending to be Monday.

At least we get a four-day workweek out of the deal! Of course, cramming five days of work into four days is always a challenge… but I’ll take a bonus ‘no alarm’ day in exchange any day!

It’s a quiet weekend on the music front around here, with no hubby gigs until week after next, but you know Monday’s Music Moves Me doesn’t take a holiday! This week is a freebie, which means I get to wander through my latest musical discoveries and share whatever has caught my ear.

I’ve got four newer songs for you this week, and somehow they ended up with a common thread running through them—carrying life’s burdens, remembering the kid who kept dreaming, finding the strength to stand your ground, and holding onto the wonderfully imperfect human things that matter.

So grab that last cup of coffee—or perhaps something a little more festive since it’s a holiday—and let’s get this musical Monday started!

Let’s start with a brand new song from this favorite artist – sometimes life doesn’t knock us over with one enormous disaster. Instead, it’s a hundred little things piling up until suddenly everything feels much heavier than it should.

That’s the feeling at the center of this just-released song—the exhaustion of trying to hold everything together while realizing the house of cards is getting awfully wobbly.

But what I especially like is that underneath the heaviness there’s hope. This isn’t about giving up; it’s about finally admitting that maybe you don’t have to carry everything by yourself. Sometimes what we need isn’t someone to magically solve our problems—we just need a hand to hold and someone we trust enough to call when things become too much.

There’s something beautifully human about admitting, “I need somebody,” especially in a world that so often tells us we’re supposed to handle everything on our own.

Give a listen to James Blunt with “Weight Of It All”:

Sometimes the person who most needs to hear “don’t give up” is the younger version of ourselves. This brand-new song feels almost like a letter sent backward through time, remembering a childhood that wasn’t always easy, the people who kept the lights on and provided some stability, and the music that helped keep faith alive.

There’s even a memory of being 23 and coming dangerously close to giving up on the dream altogether.

Knowing how that story turned out makes the message even sweeter. The kid who couldn’t possibly know what was waiting down the road is being reminded to keep going, keep dreaming, and not let other people’s opinions determine his worth.

It’s a beautiful way of looking back at the struggles that helped shape the person you eventually became—and maybe offering a little encouragement to anyone who’s still waiting to discover where their own road leads.

Give a listen to Train with “Kid In The Crown”:

What happens when someone who hurt you suddenly comes looking for sympathy? This brand-new song turns that situation on its head. Instead of offering forgiveness simply because the other person wants it, the singer draws a line and refuses to let someone from his past regain the power they once had over him.

It’s darker and much more confrontational than some of the romantic music we’ve heard from him lately—and there’s definitely some bite behind those vocals.

He wrote it with the same core team behind much of his recent music, but they gave this one a dramatically different sound, combining guitars with huge choral voices that make the whole thing feel almost cinematic. Rather than sounding wounded, he sounds empowered—as though he’s finally reached the point where he can look back at someone who caused him pain and realize that their actions no longer control his story.

Sometimes moving forward doesn’t require revenge…just the ability to finally say, “You don’t get to do that to me anymore.”

Here’s Alex Warren with “CRY WOLF”:

Last but certainly not least, is a brand new song from this favorite group. Is sticking together when things get difficult becoming a lost art? That’s where this song began—as a love song celebrating the kind of relationship that survives because two people keep choosing each other instead of giving up when things aren’t perfect. But somewhere along the way, the idea grew into something much bigger than romance.

While making their new album, the group started talking about all the things that seem to be disappearing in our increasingly digital world—handwritten letters, things made by hand and, especially, music created by real people together in a room. They deliberately embraced the little imperfections that make human voices and instruments sound, well, human.

In an age when technology can polish practically everything to perfection, they’re making the case that maybe the flaws, effort and human connection are exactly what make something worth preserving.

Without further ado, here’s Little Big Town with “Dying Art”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Moves Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!