Henry Moodie on Exploring the Emotional Chaos of Young Adulthood With Debut Album, mood swings

21-year-old English artist Henry Moodie has quickly made a name for himself as a talented singer-songwriter with a powerful story to tell, and while he might have started off as a TikTok phenomenon, he's since proven he's so much more.

He's won hearts all over the world with a number of viral hits, including "drunk text," which has been streamed more than half a billion times, and today, Oct. 24, he released his thrilling debut album, mood swings. Consisting of 14 evocative pop songs, the album tracks different moods at different points in Henry's life over the past few years. It's confessional and vulnerable as he digs deep into the emotional highs and lows of life in his early 20s and ongoing journey of self-discovery. We've been hooked from our first early listen, and we had the pleasure of chatting with Henry ahead of today's release to learn even more about what into the creation of mood swings. Read the full interview below.

Sweety High: What does the album name mood swings mean to you? Why did that title track feel like the perfect summation of this group of songs, and how poignant does it feel to incorporate a piece of your name in the title?

Henry Moodie: mood swings was the perfect title for this album. My late teens/early 20s have felt so chaotic for me, and the album is a culmination of all of the songs I wrote about those different experiences. When I was sat figuring out the title for the album, I remember my dad suggested mood swings and it made so much sense to me.

It ties so neatly into my surname "Moodie," and it suddenly meant all of these different emotions could fit under one umbrella. The title track was the last song I wrote for the album. I felt like I needed to introduce myself and lay the groundwork for who I am before we got into the different stories on the album. After I wrote that song, I knew the album was finished. 14 different stories. 14 different moods. I hope there's a song on here for everyone.

(Image courtesy of Columbia Records/Robots & Humans)

 

SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of this first album? What do you hope fans take away from it?

HM: The overarching themes on this album are youth and self-discovery. I'm doing a lot of reflecting on childhood situations on this album in songs such as "growing pains," "dear drew" and "cigarette." That process of unpacking my experiences in these songs taught me so much about why I am the way I am now. Songs like "me myself and I," "people pleaser" and "mood swings" helped me further process my insecurities.

 

Also read about: Mimi Webb Talks Embracing Change and the Messier Parts of Life With Her New Album, Confessions

 

SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks and their "mood swings" to life to tell your story?

HM: The production is very much who I am to my roots—organic and singer-songwriter esque. The concepts and emotions on this album are very raw, and I wanted the production to reflect that. I worked really closely with my Canadian friend Jeremy (Sarcastic Sounds), who was my go-to producer for a lot of these songs. He completely nails the pop/folk sound which is woven throughout the album.

(Image courtesy of Columbia Records/Robots & Humans)

 

SH: How do these songs represent where you are in life right now?

HM: I wouldn't be where I am in life right now if I hadn't written these songs. I felt like they helped me to understand who I am on a deeper level both as a person and as an artist and they really represent that transition period for me from teens to early 20s.

 

SH: What's your favorite song on the album? Why?

HM: My favorite song in the album is probably "dear drew." It's about my experience of being bullied by a boy at school. I had been wanting to write a song about that situation for so long and it felt like I finally managed to crack it with this one. when I got bullied in school, I would always escape into the music block to write songs to help me process what was happening and that's a big reason why I do music now. So I guess I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Drew…

 

SH: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of creating your debut album?

HM: I think I was most surprised about the fact that Julia Michaels wanted to work with me. She's been my dream collaborator since the start of my career and when I found out that she was down for a session I was over the moon. I remember sitting in that session almost studying how she works and taking it all in. She's so lovely, she made it feel like it was a therapy session.

 

Also read about: Cynthia Parker on Releasing Her Confident and Powerful Debut Single, 'Love Song'

 

SH: How are you feeling about releasing the album to the world?

HM: I feel so so so excited. I've never been this proud of a body of work in my life and even though it's vulnerable, which is a bit scary, I hope it can help anyone who's going through a similar thing. Because that's what music did to me. It's my debut album! I can't believe it.

(Image courtesy of Columbia Records/Robots & Humans)

 

SH: What's something you're proudest of right now?

HM: The album! so much work has gone into this I can't wait for it to be out in the world.

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

HM: I just want to say thank you so much for all of the support. I'm so grateful for all of the support I am getting from the USA and I'm excited to bring the album out to you in person sometime very soon. Thank you so much for all the love out there. I appreciate you guys.

 

For more insights on the albums we've loved this year, click HERE to hear from NewDad on their new album, Altar.