Human emotions are a complicated mix of highs and lows. One day an individual may feel as if they are on top of the world, and then appear to be at rock bottom in the very next instant. Feelings are deceptive, distracting, and discerning all at once. They can be our greatest ally or a tyrannical villain seeking to take control of our minds. Mogli the Iceburg knows all of this and has chosen to speak about his own emotions, encouraging others to do the same.
In doing so, Mogli has added even more depth to his incredibly vulnerable catalog of music and affirmed the value of God’s grace in the midst of the most trying circumstances. Even when Mogli was at his lowest, God was an everlasting source of love, just as He is for all of us. Let’s Talk About Our Feelings is a conversation between Mogli, the fans, and the Father.
“Somehow, we’ll be okay” – ‘Open up my heart, you won’t like/What you’ll find/Everyone around me seems so/Far away/But somehow, someway we’ll all be okay’
Mogli opens this project up with an emotional look into his mental state. The track is indeed short but addresses the idea of loneliness and insecurity. The indie tribe artist is crying out, seeing that even those he holds dear are out of reach. Nonetheless, Mogli remains hopeful, having faith that despite a great deal of despair, everything will work out. The end of the track also includes the now iconic “tribe on the move” tag by nobigdyl., a stamp of recent indie tribe projects.
“I don’t need you up in my face rn” (ft. Jarry Manna) – ‘I need to read, I need to think/I need His grace, sorry but/I don’t need you up in my face right now’
“I don’t need you up in my face rn” seems to address an insincere individual in Mogli’s life who has essentially stolen a sense of peace from the artist due to their manipulation. In response, Mogli wants to be left alone. The song also features Jarry Manna, a fellow member of the indie tribe collective who, like Mogli, experiences feelings of stress and discouragement. To end his verse, Manna raps about all his desires, concluding that above all, he is in need of God’s grace. This song also honors the indie tribe collective as the outro includes a small “it’s indie tribe” tag.
“See Me as I Am” (ft. nobigdyl.) – ‘Don’t know what this means I just need some clarity/Once I find my way I’ll be in a brighter place’
One of the first singles released leading up to the debut of let’s talk about our feelings, this track gives Mogli and nobigdyl. an opportunity to speak on romantic relationships in their lives, albeit with different perspectives. Mogli reflects on his time with this love fondly, as she showed the artist that he was “not alone.” The subject of Mogli’s verse gave the artist the encouragement he needed to strive forward, but she did not ultimately “come ride” with the artist. nobigdyl. takes a different approach in addressing his ex. Still hurt by her departure from his life, Dyl sees how toxic his former relationship was but longs for the sense of intimacy it granted him anyway.
The chorus of the song seems to compile a shared thought from both artists as Mogli sings, “And I’m so alone and it feels like nothing helps… And I still can’t stand to see you with someone else.”
“Some will stay, most won’t” (ft. H\rper)
An entirely instrumental track, “Some will stay, most won’t” gives loneliness and abandonment a sound. Serving almost like an intermission to the next act of the album, the song is slow, sad, and reflective in tone. The title paired with the sound almost forces listeners to reflect on all the severed ties they have in their lives.
“Idk” (ft. Jet Trouble) – ‘I don’t want you to leave right now/But I’m not sure I can stay’
“Idk” is a look into the difficulties of maintaining relationships when one’s career is all-encompassing. Mogli’s verse speaks on a romance that he thoroughly enjoyed, yet was forced to break off so as not to lead the person on. While Mogli certainly had a desire for his partner, he found their values incompatible and worried that life as an artist on the road would hurt the one he cared for. Jet’s verse carries a similar tone as the artist raps about a woman he had fallen in love with, but left the relationship brokenhearted. Despite his suffering, Trouble states that he must keep moving forward. Where once he would have drowned his sorrows in alcohol, Trouble has decided to keep creating music instead.
“I’m not alright” (ft. Kevmo) – ‘I need some friendship/While there’s still some time/Don’t go away/I’m not alright’
This track addresses the inner conflict within Mogli the Iceburg’s heart. While he can easily break off any relationship he chooses, the artist can see that such action would cause him pain as well. This uncertainty has placed the artist in a state of limbo, as he wants to make it clear that he is being hurt by those he is addressing, but fears losing them as well. In truth, Mogli does not want to hurt anyone which he makes clear with the line, “I plot these exits, count whose affected”, but feels broken down by his own emotions.
“Blackonblackonblackonblack” – ‘Single second more for you to contemplate ’bout the/Music that I make, if it’s real or fake, if I’m on my way’
This track does not seem to have a great deal of meaning at the surface but includes a message about being true to yourself amidst the ordinary detail of Mogli’s favorite color. Mogli has favored the darkness of the color black since childhood, thus striking a note of peculiarity. As Mogli states, “Black shirt, black pants, black shoes, black car, black rim/All black everything, everyday man, ya know what I’m sayin’?” Mogli would rather be true to his own preferences, and to his own identity rather than the path others would carve for him.
“let’s talk about our feelings”
The second instrumental track of the album, this song includes acoustics from Mogli’s father, James Horenburg, a passing rain, and a tone of serenity mixed with anticipation. Perhaps the instrumental tracks of this album represent a period of stagnation in life, as Mogli seems to take a breath before moving listeners into the final tracks of the album, and thus the next stages of the artist’s emotional journey.
“Empty Apartment” (Yellowcard cover) – ‘Maybe someday I’ll see you again/And you’ll look me in my eyes and call me your friend’
“Empty Apartment” is about learning to let go, even if it is incredibly painful. Mogli is struggling to keep someone in his life, yet they are set in their ways. While Mogli hopes that the two can reconcile and the other person can understand his pain, he resolves to simply be there for them if they need him.
“Wide Awake” (ft. Zhaklina) – ‘Am I crazy for thinking maybe/That in your moment of need/ that you gave me/A shred of purpose, a speck of joy’
The story of this song is one of Mogli’s joy in acting as a comforter to a close friend or lover. When this individual was down, Mogli became a source of encouragement, and he cherished his role in their life. Now that they are gone, he feels a tremendous weight upon his heart, one that he plans to take out on another, thus continuing the cycle of pain. Hurt people hurt people, as the saying goes.
“Lets Call It Off” – ‘You can’t constantly be with somebody that causes you pain like that, and/ keep telling yourself it’s normal, because it’s not/Like, sometimes you need to trust your feelings’
“Lets Call It Off” represents the severing of a tie that Mogli had to someone. It certainly pains the artist to end this relationship, but he has recognized that his pain will only get worse if he allows himself to continue being hurt by this person. While Mogli acknowledges that this separation will be painful, he hopes that with time, things will get better.
“Honest Conversations” – ‘Oh how selfless is Your love/I can’t understand grace/When the truth is/That I need You every day’
The second to last song on the album, “Honest Conversations” is Mogli’s cry out to God. After suffering from a great deal of pain throughout the course of the project, all the artist has left, and in truth all he needs is God. In the chorus, Mogli reveals his own failures in following God, confessing that any claim to “give it all” to God would just be a lie, and yet the artist is met with grace in spite of his sin. In the end, the love of God is greater than the sum of Mogli’s suffering.
The track bears parallels to WHATUPRG’s “Exit 104” and “Lovely” where the artist realizes the cost that a sinful lifestyle has left behind and his true need for God, as well as nobigdyl.’s “close” where the artist accepts both the loyalty of his spouse and grace of his Creator. The song concludes with Indie Wife’s “I really like the people we’re becoming” tag, initially stated on nobigdyl.’s Canopy project, then carried into Pleasant Hill, and SOLAR. The continued presence of this and the other indie tribe references only furthers the idea of a “indie tribe universe” first suggested by nobigdyl. himself.
“I Don’t Wanna Die Right Now” – ‘And I don’t think that you gon’ be okay/If I was really gonna end it all/So I’mma tell you I don’t feel this way’
The lead single of the album, “I Don’t Wanna Die Right Now” addresses conflicting notions of suicidal thought paired with gratefulness in one’s life. Mogli knows there is greatness in the world around him, yet he remains saddened by the painful circumstances in his life. Mogli is hesitant to outright confess his sadness due to a concern about the effect it will have on those he holds dear, and thus he ends the track, and the album by repeating “Get over it.”
Conclusion
Each of our lives is accompanied by a deal of suffering specific to our own situations. When faced with this pain, we can speak out against it, as Mogli the Iceburg did throughout the course of this project, or we can let it fester, eating away at our mental health. As believers, we hold to the idea that all of our pains will be replaced with the eternal joy of living with our Creator, but while we are on this Earth we must learn how to cope with our emotions. Indeed, the heart can be deceptive, but ignoring your emotions will only lead to further damage. So, while we can, let’s talk about our feelings.
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