“Better Days,” released by Island Records and produced by Dan Nigro, is Dermot Kennedy’s call to continue moving forward. The Irish singer-songwriter, creator of previous smash hit singles like “Outnumbered” in 2019 and “Giants” in 2020, has returned with another triumph in the industry. “Better Days” officially dropped on July 28, 2021 and continues to boost Kennedy’s popularity globally. His name has become very well known in Europe and is now making its way to spreading to the United States.

The single starts itself in a very gentle manner. A piano carries us into the lyrics, and straight to the whole meaning of the track, with the first line being “better days are comin’, if no one told you.” Kennedy is speaking to someone who supposedly has been running for years, perhaps getting to the point of giving up. The chorus of “Better Days,” beautifully composed and accompanied by a Gaelic choir in the background, acknowledges how this person has been hurting for so long, “waitin’ on a train that just won’t come.” However, Kennedy gives a promise of never giving up, and never letting go, and that “you” shouldn’t either. Your life isn’t over, your story is far from finished, the sun is coming and so are better days.

“This is a song about patience. It’s about believing in something brighter, and never losing sight of better days, no matter how hard things might get… As an artist, I feel somewhat responsible to try to make people feel a little better, whether that’s making them think of someone they love, or just taking their mind off their problems for the length of a song. So this is my contribution to hopefully providing some people with a moment’s solace. Better days will come.”

Dermot Kennedy

Hope is what the world continues to hunger for, around 20 months into a deadly pandemic. Kennedy uses his platform as an upcoming artist to vocalize people’s worries, that although they are valid in every manner, it’s important to remember that “the rain, it ain’t permanent. And soon, we’ll be dancin’ in the sun.”

Take a moment of leisure and listen to “Better Days.” It has given me the strength to continue working towards my own achievements, and continue looking forward towards the future.