I’ve always been a Crystal Castles fan, so I was thrilled to hear that Alice Glass had released a new single. (About a year ago, Glass announced she left Castles.) Then, I heard about the subject matter and intent of Glass’s single and I was, honestly, beyond the moon.
When Glass released her single, “Stillbirth,” she also released a statement. Her heartfelt letter to listeners revealed that at a young age, Glass had suffered in an abusive relationship. Her new song was about that experience.
In her letter, Glass explained to fans that she knows what it feels like to be “talked down to, yelled at, locked into rooms and criticized daily about my abilities, my weight, my looks, my intelligence and almost every move I made,” she told Dazed Digital.
While Glass recalls the horrible things she endured during that dark period of her life, she ended her statement by encouraging young people who find themselves in abusive relationships to demand respect, or leave: “I speak out now hoping that I can encourage other young women and young men to affirm their value within their relationships or get out.”
In addition to speaking out about such a personal subject, Glass also said that all proceeds from the digital purchases of the song would be donated to RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network).
It’s really important that strong public figures like Glass speak out about abuse in relationships because this type of abuse can often be hard to pinpoint. Relationship abuse doesn’t always come in the form of physical abuse — it can be far more insidious. And from where we’re sitting, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse. The only difference is that people can’t physically see that you’re being abused, so it can happen anytime, anywhere.
If you want to hear the single, visit Glass’ Soundcloud page.
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Image from Alice Glass’ Facebook page