Jenna Lotti Fights Being "Nervous" With Music

In life, when one is presented with problems, such as inner demons or insecurities, a person can do one of two things: run away from it or face it head-on. Some face these problems with the help of art.

Jenna Lotti is one of those people.

Raised in Boston, Lotti is a songstress who has suffered from mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression since she was 10 years old. To cope as a child, Lotti wrote poetry and later turned that poetry into songs about her life experiences.

Lotti’s latest song “Nervous” channels what a person suffering from anxiety goes through. The synth-heavy, piano-pop song focuses on slow-building beats and Lotti’s clean and smooth vocals, an almost calming juxtaposition to the anxious-minded lyrics.

Being trapped in her own brain, comparing herself to people who don’t notice her, going over every little thing she ever did wrong, or the constant struggle to stay calm, stay sane, and, well, breathe are at the top of Lotti’s list. She also momentarily mentions a dark reality of treating mental illness, which can be self-medicating with alcohol (vodka or wine in Lotti’s case).

Hope is not all lost, though. Lotti takes comfort in the fact that she isn’t alone in this struggle and she hopes people are listening to others, too. “I’ve always used writing as an outlet because exposing my inner demons is cathartic for me,” she said. “I hope for someone else who might listen and be suffering from the same thing.”

Check out “Nervous” below!