SiR hasn’t released a new album since his 2019 hit Chasing Summer. Although fans have been eagerly waiting, the hold-up between projects has been personal due to his struggles with depression, substance abuse, love and stints in and out of rehab—all of which became the foundation for his introspective fourth LP HEAVY. “It’s me being vulnerable in different ways, it’s me diving deeper,” he tells Apple Music. “I thought Chasing Summer was personal, but this record really showed me a lot about myself as a creator, as a man, and it’s all on there, and I think those moments are necessary. I had to have those moments. Looking back at what I’m providing, the project that you’re getting, I wouldn’t change a thing.” Serving as a therapeutic letter to himself as he tackles his issues, HEAVY is a road map of SiR’s journey from addiction to sobriety across 16 tracks. The title track, “HEAVY”, is a cry for help as the Inglewood, California, native grapples with the pressures of fame and the expectations that come from it. “Oh, I been killing myself softly/Lost my mind completely/I really hope I can find my way back to you,” he croons. SiR wrestles with his shortcomings and the impact they have on his relationships (“Satisfaction”, “ONLY HUMAN”) and the ups and downs of trying to stay sober (“TRYIN’ MY HARDEST”). Despite that, the tone of HEAVY shifts towards the middle of the album, tackling the process of healing (“BRIGHTER”) and forgiveness (“I’M NOT PERFECT”, “Nothing Even Matters”)—whether it’s from others or himself. “It’s like you’re starting in this really dark place, and you’re going from heavy to light,” he says. “That’s how I kind of wanted it to feel because that was how it was for me. I was in the darkest place of my life, and I was transitioning out as I was getting healthy. And the music I was creating was kind of shaping itself that way. It was a natural thing to put it in that order. It’s like you started. In a dark tunnel, you’re heading towards the light. And I know it’s going to feel like that for a lot of people.”