Mark Ferg Delivers His Highly Anticipated Album, “FIRST TO SAY I LOVE YOU LOSES?”
By: Chris Buxton IG: @chrisbuxtonllg
With roots that trace back to humble beginnings in New Haven, CT, the New York-based artist has been gaining traction in recent years. He is raw, daring, and his sound evokes real emotions out of his listeners. After hearing his feature on Eric Penn’s “American Fairytale”, I knew he had the “IT” factor. Now, he enters our pages with his latest album, “FIRST TO SAY I LOVE YOU LOSES?”.
“FIRST TO SAY I LOVE YOU LOSES?” is a groundbreaking album that dives into themes of love, trauma, and heartbreak. This is an album that details the hardships that come from vulnerability and the difficulties of wanting to open up to someone else. As someone who was in a relationship for 9 years, I can tell you firsthand that the heartbreak you feel from losing your significant other hits deep. Especially if you open up to them. Being in a relationship often allows us to see a different side of ourselves through the eyes and mind of someone else. However, relationships also serve as a lesson where we can reflect on our own faults, flaws, & shortcomings. Mark Ferg discusses this all on his latest album. This is what he had to say:
“FIRST TO SAY I LOVE YOU LOSES?” is not a statement, it’s a question. It’s a question that I found myself asking 3 years ago. I was questioning my love life, reflecting on my past dealing with women, & I was starting to realize what I wanted and what was no longer serving me. In 2021, I found myself working on a collection of songs that were some of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. Little did I know that these songs were just side effects of my then-current state.
When I created this project, I hoped to start a greater conversation about love, heartbreak, relationships, vulnerability, shortcomings, trauma, and how we all deal with these things. All these songs touch on themes within romantic relationships but on the base level this project is about the human experience because we all deal with these themes in one way or another.”
I find his reason behind his creation of the album to be profound & moving. In a time where most music feels plastic, his music has substance. It’s refreshing to say the least. Each song has its own story, and his vocal performances were exceptional. The way he paints pictures with his words needs to be studied. He’s just that good. Sonically, I found the songs to be captivating and dynamic. From a songwriting standpoint, it was a chef’s kiss. The album feels like a discussion. He starts by discussing love in its purest form before detailing his shortcomings in past relationships. Ferg then discusses a blossoming love where he ended up shielding himself by putting up walls to ultimately protect himself and his lover from the potential heartbreak this connection could bring. Diving into his emotional baggage, he later ends the project reminiscing about the good times with his lover. All in all, this is a self-reflective album that shows a man’s growth and maturity over time as he deals with love, heartbreak, & loss.
My favorite songs were “SAY IT FIRST” that features Eric Penn, and I loved “DO IT OVER” Overall, this is one of my favorite projects this year, and you stream it below and vibe out!
