Damn It Feels Good To Be Me

Album: The Art of Joy (2021)
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Songfacts®:

  • For years, Andy Grammer was afraid to reveal his true self to others and instead hid behind a mask. It was only when the COVID pandemic stripped him of the touring troubadour identity he'd cultivated that Grammer could step back and engage in some personal analysis. "I had the gift of time to re-examine a lot and realized that sometimes in an effort to fit in with culture I am tempted to turn myself down for the fear of not being accepted," he said.

    Grammer wrote "Damn It Feels Good To Be Me" as a reminder to himself to follow the beat of his own drum. He said: "I want this song to be for those who have come to that point in their life where they're just FINALLY enjoying the freedom of self-acceptance."
  • Grammer wrote the song with:

    Grant Phillip Michaels (Black Cards' "Dominoes," SZA's "Aftermath").

    Sam Hollander (Panic At The Disco's "High Hopes," "Hey Look Ma, I Made It").

    Canadian producer Jon Levine (Dua Lipa's "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)," Rachel Platten's "Fight Song").
  • Jon Levine also produced this song. Levine is one of Grammer's go-to producers; their previous collaborations include the Magazines or Novels track "Blame It On The Stars" and the Naive cuts "I Found You" and "Spotlight."
  • Grammer released this song on September 8, 2021. It is the follow-up to another single inspired by his introspection during the COVID lockdown, "Lease On Life." That tune found him learning to derive self-worth from within rather than outside of himself.

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