Every story has its silver lining — even the sad ones, and that’s what elijah woods’ surprise EP is all about. On March 29, the Toronto-based artist and producer released his three-track project titled silver lining. Featuring two new tracks, along with his most recent hit “losing a friend,” silver lining deep-dives into the intricacies of relationships and the necessity of introspection.

“second guessing” For Your Heart’s Sake

Opening the EP is the gut-wrenchingly melancholic track “second guessing.” Over a delicate piano and acoustic guitar melody, woods reflects on the shift in a relationship with a friend. As the chorus hits, woods draws a boundary to protect his own heart — and realizes they both have to move on. He mournfully begs, ”Don’t let me come crawling back / Let’s leave this love right where we left it / On Sunset and 2nd / Without second guessing.”

But letting go is much easier said than done, and woods is aware that splitting ways with a friend is an entire grieving process in itself. He confesses, “The subtle art of letting go / Is something I will never know / How am I supposed to grow / If I can’t even learn to cope?” Matching the emotional turbulence he feels, “second guessing” transforms with electric guitars, distorted vocals, and striking electronic effects. Vulnerable and emotionally-charged, “second guessing” is an honest ode to letting go and having no second chances.

Discovering That “silver lining”

Woods continues his “sad boy era” with his previously-released single “losing a friend” and the titular track of his new EP. While “losing a friend” soars into a rock-inspired bridge as woods lets out his grief and devastation in one elongated note, “silver lining” ensures it’s rooted to the ground. The multi-platinum artist lets his voice take center stage with lyrics like “I loved you when you couldn’t love yourself” and “But I let you tear me apart” hitting true. 

“Silver lining” opens with the strumming of an electric guitar. These notes balance both a weightlessness and a heavy darkness and reflects the headspace woods was in when he wrote the track. As woods looks back on this now-ended friendship, there still remains a strong echo of sadness. But, there is a sliver of a silver lining in the track. Woods knows that he loved and always tried to see the best in that ex-friend. In silver lining, he serves his bleeding — yet slowly healing — heart on a platter. But that’s woods’ power as an artist: being emotionally raw connects him to listeners in a special way. It’s as if he looked us in the eye, and said, “Yes, I know your pain, too.” 

Woods explained how silver lining came to be in a press release, saying, “I wrote this project to process the grief of losing a close friend.” He continued, “I’m very grateful to have this outlet, and I hope these songs give some comfort to anyone going through something similar.” 

Up Next From elijah woods

After finding success with his viral romantic hit “24/7, 365,” woods has built an ever-growing fanbase across the globe. With over 250 million streams across his discography and nearly six million Spotify listeners, elijah woods has a promising future ahead. The rising star is currently preparing to embark on his sold-out headline tour in Asia, featuring a stop where he will open for pop mogul Niall Horan. Woods will wrap up his tour by taking the stage at the Seoul Jazz Festival alongside notable artists such as Lauv, Laufey, Bruno Major, and Car, the garden. 

Interested in seeing elijah woods? Check out the dates for his shows in Asia below!

May 11 – Jakarta, Indonesia @ Beach City International Stadium w/ Niall Horan

May 13 – Singapore @ Esplanade Annexe Studio

May 14 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia @ The Bee at Publika

May 16 – Bangkok, Thailand @ Lido Connect Hall 3

May 18 – San Po Kong, Hong Kong @ Kitty Woo Stadium

May 20 – Manila, Philippines @ The Podium Hall

May 22 – Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya WWW

May 24 – Taipei, Taiwan @ Clapper Studio

May 31 – Seoul, Korea @ Seoul Jazz Festival

For more tour information, check out elijah woods’ website.

Make sure to keep up with elijah woods on Instagram, TikTok, and X!

Want more new music to add to your playlists? Check out Team EnVi’s latest Sunday Spin roundup here!

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