Fritz Hager is on Fire

Jayden Jones, Junior Editor|March 22, 2022

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Recently aired on American Idol, Fritz Hager is a local musician from Tyler who has released a single and an E.P. – or extended play – with Mauldin Productions.

He’s promoted his music on TikTok and Instagram within the past few months leading up to his EP release, which he has said will “speak on insecurities, love and heartache, every existential crisis that a person would struggle with in their 20s, and most importantly how to come to terms with and overcome them.”

He has also been mentioning his appearance on American Idol, the airing date unknown at this time. His single, “All My Friends,” released Feb. 25, will now accompany his already released single, “Open Waters.”

This incredibly catchy song encompasses how he wishes to be achieving more than he currently is. The unsatisfying aspect that his life is going nowhere, and that he hasn’t accomplished as much as he should have at this point in his life.

It’s a look into feeling inferior when comparing yourself to people around you who are succeeding. The song is like therapy in the form of a melody, allowing the listeners to vent and get rid of their worries by screaming along with the lyrics. It’s incredibly relatable, not to mention yell-able, and is extremely recommended.

The song has more melancholy lyrics that are balanced with the song’s upbeat instrumental. The drums, electric guitar, and bass in the background aid the catchy lyrics by making the tune behind it, which carries extremely well.

The intro begins with him being upset about how nothing he does is relevant, how he’s just, “in my room writing songs, going nowhere, something’s wrong.” The reason for writing this could be that he is in a rut, not able to get out of this never-ending cycle in his life. The everyday routine has begun to drain

him and make him question most things in his life, especially when looking at where his friends are in comparison to himself.

Once it goes into the chorus, Hager sings, “Is my sky falling down? Is there weight above the clouds? How can I find meaning now when my sky is falling down?”

This is all alluding to the fact that his life is overwhelming right now. There’s nothing he sees for himself, and he’s questioning what his purpose here is in general. Many could relate to this sentiment, especially someone in their adolescence trying to find themselves but feeling as though they’re wandering in a dark forest without a flashlight.

The same idea continues into the second verse when he says that he’s “writing songs that no one hears, thinking back on wasted years.”

It’s explaining how he feels that the time he’s spent chasing his dream hasn’t paid off and has been a lost cause. The frustration felt when no matter how hard you’ve tried and it still hasn’t paid off is evident in this lyric, in which you can hear the exasperation in his voice as he sings it.

There is a sense of uselessness that could be conveyed while listening that both fills and empties this void while simultaneously validating your feelings.

“I’m living for a feeling,” is touching on how he’s just trying to get to the next day without feeling as numb as he has been. There isn’t anything that makes him feel alive anymore, so he’s chasing that feeling over and over to make life worth it.

While all of the negative notes of not feeling like enough and as if he can’t catch up with his friends who have accomplished so much creates a more negative atmosphere, he counters that sense while he wraps the song up.

His attitude in the last line contrasts the rest of the song, and it gives a more hopeful perspective by singing, “All my friends are getting older. I’ll be there soon. I’m getting closer.”