Libby Danforth/Atlantic Data

Libby Danforth/Atlantic Data

corook was having a foul day.

After studying a slew of hate feedback on-line directed at their gender id and the way they dressed, the 28-year-old Nashville-based musician wanted cheering up, so that they and their companion turned to what they do finest: music.

“My girlfriend was supporting me and wished to do one thing to make me really feel higher and determined: ‘Let’s write a tune about it, let’s make like a extremely bizarre tune. As a result of you already know, I like that you just’re bizarre and it is fantastic that you just’re bizarre. So what is the weirdest thought you can give you?’

“And so I mentioned, ‘I believe if I have been a fish I believe that all the bizarre issues about me can be cool,’ and she or he was like, ‘that is bizarre, let’s do it.’ ”

The result’s the hit tune “if i have been a fish.”

Initially a 49-second TikTok, corook (often known as Corinne Savage) goes on to sing about rocks and socks, adopted by the query that began all of it: “Why’s everyone on the web so imply?”

corook explains that the lyrics got here from a second of vulnerability as they have been coming to phrases with their gender id and feeling misplaced.

“I used to be clearly going by way of lots, personally, of accepting the truth that I am non-binary. … I believe it is arduous to not match right into a field every time everyone form of needs to have the ability to outline you merely.”

Residing exterior of the field can also be one thing corook does musically.

“I do not actually have a style,” the musician says. “Like, I like making music. I like making songs that inform a narrative. And a few of them sound extra like a [singer] songwriter, and a few of them sound extra like a pop tune.”

Their mix of kinds shines on “if i have been a fish.” Whereas the unique TikTok recording was written on only a guitar, the complete size model options guitar, percussion, and corook’s favourite instrument, the kazoo.

The musical combination provides to the tune’s constructive spin on a troublesome state of affairs, a apply corook is understood for bringing to their music.

“I believe that utilizing an upbeat tone to speak about one thing severe is form of my specialty. … And every time I found out that I might do this in music, it simply felt like a extremely huge lacking puzzle piece for me,” they are saying.

And “if i have been a fish” is resonating with audiences. With over 7 million streams on Spotify, the tune has turn out to be a self-acceptance anthem.

“I believe it is an attention-grabbing factor that I wrote the tune from a spot of like, ‘I do not slot in, I haven’t got a group. I do not really feel like folks get me’ after which to have a response of hundreds of thousands of individuals say, ‘I get you and I need extra of this, and I really feel this manner, too,’ ” corook says.

“I believe that has been profound, not solely as a musician in my profession, however simply as a human being. It has been actually therapeutic to be seen and heard by so many individuals.”

You possibly can hear “if i have been a fish” on corook’s forthcoming EP severe particular person (half 1) out June 2.