If you’ve been on TikTok in the past two weeks, there’s a chance you’ve heard the words, “So whatcha think? Do you think it would make you sad?” Teased first on Oct. 4, the smash hit artist Ricky Montgomery made fans anticipate and worry about the upcoming release. He promised it would be “the saddest song [he’d] ever made,” and have the most personal lyrics of his discography.
Fans wept over his most popular songs “Mr Loverman” and “Line Without a Hook,” both of which have over 150 million streams on Spotify. He initially told audiences he’d drop a brand-new teaser and release day after hitting 50,000 pre-saves on streaming services.
Montgomery hit his goal on Wednesday, Oct. 13, an a longer, animated teaser was posted to social media. The animation and backgrounds were produced by Dillon Moore and Kate Renshaw-Lewis respectively, with additional help from a plethora of others. Additionally, talented individuals collaborated on the release, including Paul McCartney’s drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.
On Oct. 15, fans welcomed the track with open arms, tissues in hand. Fans speculated about its meaning since the initial teaser, but Montgomery finally confirmed theories on Twitter.
“Sorry for Me is a song about the day my ex-stepdad was arrested on xmas morning in 2012. He was always abusive, physically and otherwise, but we didn’t realize the extent of it until my sister told her therapist what happened to her as a kid,” he wrote.
Montgomery explained the process of crafting his experience while being respectful to his family members.
“I wanted to write for anyone going through something hard to talk about. It’s also about me pleading with my mom to leave an abusive husband. And the guilt of asking her to leave my brother’s dad despite the context. And about being the oldest kid,” he said.
With a topic this dense, it’s no wonder how harsh and vivid Montgomery’s language is throughout the three minute 18 second runtime.
Opening with a light and almost chilling solo guitar, listeners will think things are peaceful to begin. However, as time and plot progress in the song, additional instrumentals build up to the chorus, where Montgomery is most in tune with his emotions.
My personal favorite lines are from the pre-chorus. “Now that it’s over, I don’t know how to feel / Move to California, where I won’t have to deal” resonates with all audiences, even if they aren’t in a similar situation. Rewatching movies and taking a walk outside are small ways to escape heavy emotions in favor of bliss.
The lyricism is outstanding and showcases Montgomery’s talent, but the art style for this release is interesting compared to the lyrics, elevating the meaning behind the song. The constant shaky nature of the lines and art make you sense that even when the situation is over, you are still anxious or overwhelmed. At one point, the abuser is hanging onto a car’s windshield wipers when Montgomery closes his eyes and flashes to different memories. He opens his eyes to see the Los Angeles sign and ends on him in a house, lying in bed as the credits display.
If “Sorry for Me” left you itching for more from Montgomery, you’re in luck. Yesterday, he wrote on Twitter, “next song is gonna be more fun. it’s just about finished.”
Fun can be interpreted in many ways. Fun for listeners with an upbeat song, or fun for Montgomery seeing fans sob once more due to his poetic storytelling. Only time will tell, but listeners will appreciate this gem of a song in the meantime.
Sierra Thornton can be reached at [email protected].
