Growing up can be filled with self doubt, negative self talk, and feelings of isolation and frustration. “Future Kids” acknowledges the way people often pick themselves apart as they grow older until they can figure out how to be comfortable with who they are. The single gives listeners an idea of what Kays’ future children could be battling with if they were to inherit her own insecurities and mental health issues. Kays sings of sleepless nights spent fixating on all the things she would change about herself and how her children may do the same. With this song she expresses her worries over her future children trying to find ways to be, “better than they are,” and trying to change things that she loves about them instead of being happy with themselves. Kays has explained that for her it’s hard to imagine her future kids feeling, “the same way about themselves,” as she sometimes does and going through similar internal struggles.
The music for “Future Kids” is soft, maybe even soothing, but the concern it addresses can keep listeners up at night wondering the same thing. Many people wonder if their future kids will have the same struggles they did, especially if part of those struggles can be passed down genetically. Conversations about this possibility are happening between friends and amongst family members, especially with the rise in awareness of mental health issues. What makes “Future Kids” a potentially powerful song for listeners isn’t that it’s a new take on the usual concepts or that it’s filled with fancy words and cryptic phases. “Future Kids” is a straightforward expression of a concern Kays and many other people have that exposes some of their vulnerabilities. For those who are currently struggling with how they see themselves and what that could mean for their future, this song may be a source of comfort by making them feel understood and less alone.
Sara Kays is a Nashville-based songwriter. You can check out more from her on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter under @sarakaysmusic and check out the lyric video for “Future Kids” on her Youtube page.
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