Dear Insecurity

Album: Brandy Clark (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Dear Insecurity" is Brandy Clark's musical smackdown to those pesky self-doubts that haunt us all. As she sat in the soul-crushing LA traffic on her way to a writing session with Michael Pollack (Maroon 5's "Memories," Miley Cyrus' "Flowers"), the song idea struck her like a bolt of lightning. Clark was thinking about someone who'd wounded her pride, and a friend's blunt reminder that "insecurity is the ugliest human emotion."

    "I was thinking, 'It's really insecurity. I need to remember that: They're making me feel bad because they feel small,'" Clark recalled to American Songwriter. "I was sitting there in traffic, and I wanted to bring a really great idea to Michael, and I was like, 'What if you wrote a letter to insecurity?'"
  • "Dear Insecurity" is a track from Clark's eponymous fourth studio album, produced by the acclaimed singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. The pair previously collaborated on Clark's 2020 single "Same Devil."
  • Carlile wanted to make "Dear Insecurity" a duet, so she joined Clark on the initial scratch vocal. Clark was so moved by the way their voices intertwined over the raw, heartfelt lyrics that she decided to keep the duet with Carlile.

    "She had a couple of people in mind, but Lucinda Williams was top of her list and mine," said Clark to UK newspaper The Sun. "And so, she sang the scratch vocal with the hope of playing it for Lucinda and getting her on it. She even tried to sing it the way she thought Lucinda would. However, she got lost in it as did I, we were in the middle of some magic, and I couldn't imagine anyone BUT Brandi singing it with me. Luckily she agreed."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.