Alabama’s Eye of TJ is releasing the acoustic version of “Letting Go of You” on February 13th, the ultimate “Anti-Valentine” anthem. Following 33,000+ streams on his debut album Everything I Didn’t Say, TJ strips back his most-streamed track. The original was an aggressive rock realization of a nine-year relationship reaching its snapping point. This version is the silence that followed. By removing the wall of distorted guitars and heavy drums, TJ allows the voice to sit in the raw, quiet space of the original notebook where the lyrics were first written. The track leads into the Deluxe Edition of the album, arriving March 13th.
Musically, this powerful ballad borrows heavily from 2000s-style acoustic rock ballads à la Nickelback. Gritty vocals that cut through the midrange frequencies of the acoustic guitar strumming as much as they cut through the heartstrings. The pacing across the song, transitioning between verse, prechorus, and chorus, is masterfully done. It tells the story in the most straightforward way. There is no subversion of expectation here and no harmonic or rhythmic surprises. It’s just to the point of the heartache, and that’s what the song needs.
Eye of TJ blends raw human vulnerability with a digital vocal identity to create what he calls an “inventory of unspoken moments.” The project’s been getting international press from Karl Is My Unkle and Radio Armazém, building momentum ahead of the Deluxe Edition launch. For anyone spending Valentine’s week letting go instead of holding on, this one hits.
