Chersea – I Can’t Be You

Some relationships are abusive, but not all abuse is physical. My new single, “I Can’t Be You,” explores gas-lighting – the manipulation of someone through psychological means into questioning their own sanity. The affected person views their emotional situation through a distorted lens, and becomes willing to sacrifice their own happiness and health to conform to the flawed perspective. The effect of that sacrifice allows the cycle to continue and in the process, one loses their individuality, as well as their grip of reality. “I Can’t Be You” follows that journey of the victim trying to reconcile his or her own thoughts about the situation. As they begin to discern that it’s not their fault, they realize that their desperation is only a by-product of being co-dependent. They have been under the illusion that their identity requires outside validation. Acknowledging that they will no longer be the product of their partner’s gas-lighting, helplessness transforms into a proclamation of inner validation: “I can’t be me” becomes “I Can’t Be You. – Chersea