"Figure Me Out"

“I'm a bit too pop for the punk kids, but I'm too punk for the pop kids.”

The Summer Set recently released their newest album “Stories For Monday”. The album features 11 tracks, all of which are composed of infectious melodies and creative lyrics that deliver “nostalgia-ridden goodness.” These songs are honest and relatable. They remind you of nights out with your friends, reckless loves, and the joys that life can bring. You can listen to the album stream here.

For me, one song that stood out on the album was the opening track, “Figure Me Out.” The song talks about finding your place in life, which is something everyone has dealt with or is still dealing with. It touches on the struggle of finding where you fit in and your purpose in life.

“I'm a bit too pop for the punk kids, but I'm too punk for the pop kids

I don't know just where I fit in cause when I open my mouth I know nobody's listenin'

To the words of a prophet who still can't turn a profit.

Cause I don't fit in with the in crowd, but I'm too Hollywood to go back to my hometown.”

Those lyrics in particular touch on something that I’ve always dealt with. The feeling that you’re too much of one thing and not enough of the other to really find where you fit. When you’re into a little bit of everything it can be tricky to find those that share your interests. It’s disheartening when you’re with people that you feel you can’t truly be yourself around because they’re either not going to understand – or not care enough to listen. Everything I love and everything I am, it all clashes. Picture Elle Woods, if she was into punk, horror and comics.

Part of figuring yourself out is learning not to hide any aspect of what makes you who you are. Especially, if you’re hiding who you are in order to fit in. This is something I had to figure out as I got older and learned to accept myself. If you love something, you should talk about it. Find people that listen to you and accept every part of you, not just the parts that are the most convenient to them.  On the contrary, if someone shares a part of themselves with you, be open to listen to them even if it’s not something you’re into. No one is completely one dimensional. If all of the people in my life were exactly the same, it would be incredibly dull. Once you figure out the things that make you who you are, never let anyone make you feel bad about it. Find ways to express yourself when you feel like you’re not being heard. Don’t let others keep you from using your voice because someone out there will listen.

“Let's get back to the basics and take it back to the basement

Where I heard Born To Run for the first time and I stared at my dad in amazement

He said, "Son don't stop chasing great and keep pounding the pavement."

So I'd much rather die tryin' to make something sacred than live as another YouTube sensation.”

Another part of figuring yourself is finding your purpose in life. As you grow, you’ll change your mind about the things you want in life. And that’s totally okay. If you’re going to spend every day dedicating your life to something, it needs to be something that you’re passionate about. Don’t limit yourself; you owe it to yourself to do the things that make you happy. Allow yourself be inspired and go out and inspire others. This is connected to figuring out who you are and finding your voice. If you feel that you’re not being heard, find a way to use your voice and it could lead you to your purpose. Get loud, be bold, and discover new ways to express yourself. Whether it’s through writing, music, art – it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re doing what you want. When I felt that I wasn’t being heard, I turned to writing. If the people around me weren’t going to listen to me, I knew someone else out there would.

“But I believe there's more to life than all my problems maybe there's still hope for me to start again.”

A huge part of life is spent figuring yourself out. Figure out what makes you who you are and surround yourself with people that encourage you to be just that. Go out and find the things that make you passionate and do those things. It you thought you had it all figured out and you’re starting over, it’s okay. Things happen, setbacks occur, and life gets in the way. No matter what the case may be, there’s always a chance for you. A chance to start over, to continue to progress and go for the things you want. Never stop going after the things you want. But most importantly, never stop being unapologetically yourself. Never apologize for the things that you love or make you happy.