Some songs are about relationships, places or specific moments in life. “Obsession” is about something more constant: the need for music itself. For 50mething, music is not simply entertainment. It is a source of comfort, reflection and emotional release, something that needs to be within reach whenever life demands an outlet.
That idea gives the single a surprisingly relatable starting point. The image of always having earbuds available says a lot about the role music can play in everyday life. It can change the atmosphere of a difficult moment, provide company when you’re alone, or simply give you somewhere else to put your thoughts.
Musically, “Obsession” is built around a bass line that provides the track’s backbone, carrying the song forward while guitar enters more prominently around the chorus. Harmonised vocals add another layer to the arrangement, before the brass section brings the track toward its conclusion. There is a clear appreciation for building a song through layers rather than relying on one dominant idea.
That DIY approach is an important part of 50mething’s identity. Everything is created independently in a home studio, with the artist handling the production alone. What could easily become a limitation instead seems to have become part of the creative philosophy: the ability to experiment, develop arrangements and follow an idea without waiting for anyone else’s permission.
Prince is cited as the primary influence, and that makes sense in the context of an artist who places so much value on independence and creative control. But 50mething’s broader relationship with music seems just as important as any individual influence. The goal isn’t simply to sound like someone else; it is to use music for the same fundamental reason that great music has always mattered—to feel something.
There is an interesting story behind the person making it, too. A former dancer and garden builder, 50mething began releasing music at 58, carrying a substantial catalogue of around 70 completed tracks. The first release, “Slowly Through the Night,” was written in response to a cancer diagnosis in 2024. With things progressing well, the decision was made to start putting the music into the world.
That gives “Obsession” another layer. This isn’t an artist desperately trying to manufacture a career from nothing. It feels more like someone finally deciding that the songs accumulated over years deserve to be heard.
And perhaps that’s exactly what makes the project interesting. At 58, 50mething is proving that there is no deadline for taking music seriously—or for finally allowing the music you’ve been carrying around to become part of your life in public.
“Obsession” is, fittingly, a song about why you keep coming back to music. For 50mething, the answer seems simple: sometimes you need it because music knows how to help you hold everything else together.
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