Joshua Bassett.Photo: Luke RogersJoshua Bassettis finally telling his side of the story.On Friday, the 20-year-old singer dropped a trio of raw, highly emotional singles that document his tumultuous year. In “Crisis,” “Secret,” and “Set Me Free,” Bassett shares his journey from the depths of grief and emotional trauma to the early stages of healing.Many of the lyrics in each single address the end of a relationship — one that fans think was with hisHigh School Musical: The Musical: The SeriescostarOlivia Rodrigo, 18.“Releasing these vulnerable snippets of my life is equally terrifying and beautifully liberating,” Bassett said in a press release.Below are some of the best, most emotional lines from the trio of songs.“Crisis"In “Crisis,” Bassett is calling out someone for making accusations about him that only tell one side of the story.“And if you get to tell your truth then so do I / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy / But don’t you dare act like I didn’t love you / Half the shit you’re saying’s only half true / Messing with my life as a career move / I can’t help but wonder why you won’t make it end?” he sings.Bassett appears to specifically reference the public backlash he received this year after Rodrigo released hersmash hit single “drivers license"when he sings: “My momma called ‘cause she heard I got death threats / Oh what the hell am I supposed to do with that? / I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over / But you sensationalize, keep fanning the fire for the headlines.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.He also questions the narrative, wondering if it may have gotten twisted along the way. “Weren’t you the one who left in the first place? / Weren’t you the one who called things off? / Was it an act to love me, or an act to hate me?““Secret"Bassett sings about finding out he hasn’t been told the whole truth in “Secret,” yet he vows to keep what he knows confidential.He croons: “Your smoke and mirrors had me hypnotized / Right in front of my eyes / Well I heard the truth last night / Your secret’s safe with me / And him / And all of our friends you told.“Again, theHSMTMTSstar warns that the secret can’t stay hidden forever.He sings, “When woe is me stops working / I bet your songs won’t sound the same / The truth you can’t deny changed everything / You can’t hide behind what’s clear as day.““Set Me Free"With “Set Me Free,” Bassett is finally finding a way to move on from his pain.In the beginning, he questions: “I don’t know what I did to deserve all this / I don’t wanna be rude or on the defensive / But I’ve been going through it too.“He reflects on how he initially tried to hide the pain, before acknowledging it and growing from it.“I’ve been running away, I’ve been facing my fears / Tell my momma I’m okay, while I’m holding back tears / It’s been a f—ing year,” he sings. “I’ve been doing my time, I’ve been working on me / Wasn’t sure I’d survive, never felt so weak / And nothing really seemed to help it.“In the chorus, he sings about coming to the conclusion that, despite what he’s been through, he won’t let it consume him: “You don’t get to take all of me (Set me free) / I don’t need your apology (Let me be).”
Joshua Bassett.Photo: Luke Rogers
Joshua Bassettis finally telling his side of the story.On Friday, the 20-year-old singer dropped a trio of raw, highly emotional singles that document his tumultuous year. In “Crisis,” “Secret,” and “Set Me Free,” Bassett shares his journey from the depths of grief and emotional trauma to the early stages of healing.Many of the lyrics in each single address the end of a relationship — one that fans think was with hisHigh School Musical: The Musical: The SeriescostarOlivia Rodrigo, 18.“Releasing these vulnerable snippets of my life is equally terrifying and beautifully liberating,” Bassett said in a press release.Below are some of the best, most emotional lines from the trio of songs.“Crisis"In “Crisis,” Bassett is calling out someone for making accusations about him that only tell one side of the story.“And if you get to tell your truth then so do I / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy / But don’t you dare act like I didn’t love you / Half the shit you’re saying’s only half true / Messing with my life as a career move / I can’t help but wonder why you won’t make it end?” he sings.Bassett appears to specifically reference the public backlash he received this year after Rodrigo released hersmash hit single “drivers license"when he sings: “My momma called ‘cause she heard I got death threats / Oh what the hell am I supposed to do with that? / I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over / But you sensationalize, keep fanning the fire for the headlines.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.He also questions the narrative, wondering if it may have gotten twisted along the way. “Weren’t you the one who left in the first place? / Weren’t you the one who called things off? / Was it an act to love me, or an act to hate me?““Secret"Bassett sings about finding out he hasn’t been told the whole truth in “Secret,” yet he vows to keep what he knows confidential.He croons: “Your smoke and mirrors had me hypnotized / Right in front of my eyes / Well I heard the truth last night / Your secret’s safe with me / And him / And all of our friends you told.“Again, theHSMTMTSstar warns that the secret can’t stay hidden forever.He sings, “When woe is me stops working / I bet your songs won’t sound the same / The truth you can’t deny changed everything / You can’t hide behind what’s clear as day.““Set Me Free"With “Set Me Free,” Bassett is finally finding a way to move on from his pain.In the beginning, he questions: “I don’t know what I did to deserve all this / I don’t wanna be rude or on the defensive / But I’ve been going through it too.“He reflects on how he initially tried to hide the pain, before acknowledging it and growing from it.“I’ve been running away, I’ve been facing my fears / Tell my momma I’m okay, while I’m holding back tears / It’s been a f—ing year,” he sings. “I’ve been doing my time, I’ve been working on me / Wasn’t sure I’d survive, never felt so weak / And nothing really seemed to help it.“In the chorus, he sings about coming to the conclusion that, despite what he’s been through, he won’t let it consume him: “You don’t get to take all of me (Set me free) / I don’t need your apology (Let me be).”
Joshua Bassettis finally telling his side of the story.
On Friday, the 20-year-old singer dropped a trio of raw, highly emotional singles that document his tumultuous year. In “Crisis,” “Secret,” and “Set Me Free,” Bassett shares his journey from the depths of grief and emotional trauma to the early stages of healing.
Many of the lyrics in each single address the end of a relationship — one that fans think was with hisHigh School Musical: The Musical: The SeriescostarOlivia Rodrigo, 18.
“Releasing these vulnerable snippets of my life is equally terrifying and beautifully liberating,” Bassett said in a press release.
Below are some of the best, most emotional lines from the trio of songs.
“Crisis”
In “Crisis,” Bassett is calling out someone for making accusations about him that only tell one side of the story.
“And if you get to tell your truth then so do I / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy / But don’t you dare act like I didn’t love you / Half the shit you’re saying’s only half true / Messing with my life as a career move / I can’t help but wonder why you won’t make it end?” he sings.
Bassett appears to specifically reference the public backlash he received this year after Rodrigo released hersmash hit single “drivers license"when he sings: “My momma called ‘cause she heard I got death threats / Oh what the hell am I supposed to do with that? / I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over / But you sensationalize, keep fanning the fire for the headlines.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He also questions the narrative, wondering if it may have gotten twisted along the way. “Weren’t you the one who left in the first place? / Weren’t you the one who called things off? / Was it an act to love me, or an act to hate me?”
“Secret”
Bassett sings about finding out he hasn’t been told the whole truth in “Secret,” yet he vows to keep what he knows confidential.
He croons: “Your smoke and mirrors had me hypnotized / Right in front of my eyes / Well I heard the truth last night / Your secret’s safe with me / And him / And all of our friends you told.”
Again, theHSMTMTSstar warns that the secret can’t stay hidden forever.
He sings, “When woe is me stops working / I bet your songs won’t sound the same / The truth you can’t deny changed everything / You can’t hide behind what’s clear as day.”
“Set Me Free”
With “Set Me Free,” Bassett is finally finding a way to move on from his pain.
In the beginning, he questions: “I don’t know what I did to deserve all this / I don’t wanna be rude or on the defensive / But I’ve been going through it too.”
He reflects on how he initially tried to hide the pain, before acknowledging it and growing from it.
“I’ve been running away, I’ve been facing my fears / Tell my momma I’m okay, while I’m holding back tears / It’s been a f—ing year,” he sings. “I’ve been doing my time, I’ve been working on me / Wasn’t sure I’d survive, never felt so weak / And nothing really seemed to help it.”
In the chorus, he sings about coming to the conclusion that, despite what he’s been through, he won’t let it consume him: “You don’t get to take all of me (Set me free) / I don’t need your apology (Let me be).”
source: people.com
