Wakeen Dead’s latest single, “One Way,” is an intensely personal and spiritually rooted release that provides comfort and encouragement to their listeners as they make their way through the darkness. Constructed from the raw element of life experience rather than refined perfection, the track embodies an honest portrayal of survival, faith, and determination. From the opening chords, it has the air of a person who has walked through darkness and come out with something to say.
What makes “One Way” particularly engaging is Wakeen Dead’s capacity to combine poetic word flow with raw musical instinct. Recorded at home with just six weeks of experience using FL Studio, the song retains its rough edges, but there’s something kind of perfect in the rawness of a heart-over-head impulse. That DIY feel further adds to its impact and makes the track sound unfiltered, intimate, and unforced; it’s as if the listener is being allowed into a private moment of reflection.
At its essence, “One Way” is rooted in spirituality and testimony. Wakeen Dead also combines his history of addiction, homelessness, and mental illness to set the song as an assertion of overcoming by way of believing in the word. Instead of just harping on the adversity, though, the song is ultimately about resilience and hope, fueled by a conviction that strength can still be discovered once everything around you has been torn down. It’s a message to the lost that they are not alone in feeling that way.
While Wakeen Dead hustles towards his next album, due later this summer, “One Way” is a strong, ruggedly hewn portrait of its creator’s purpose as an artist. It’s no mere song; it’s a lived chapter, forged in struggle and nurtured with belief. On this release, Wakeen Dead establishes himself as an artist who is willing to expose his vulnerabilities in order for music to serve as both testimony and invitation toward healing.