“Open Up” feels like one of those songs that don’t need to prove anything. It arrives gently on the scene, patient and sincere.

George Collins has a talent for letting a song unfold naturally, and this one does just that. There’s a quiet confidence running through it that only comes from experience, both in life and in songwriting.

The arrangement here is warm and unfussy. A subtle groove anchors the track, with soft layers of guitar and keys adding just enough movement to keep things flowing without distracting from Collins’s vocals. And it’s the vocals that are part of its charm – they are understated but are performed with emotion.

It calls to mind the introspective side of Peter Gabriel or even the hushed honesty of late career Paul Simon with each note feeling like it has been carefully placed, but not overworked.

Lyrically, “Open Up” sits in that rare space between vulnerability and resolve. The song’s core message is nothing groundbreaking – be brave, be open, take the risks – but its the way that Collins delivers the message that makes it feel like something you really need to hear. He doesn’t promise that things will be easy or even go well. He just makes the case that it’s still worth trying.

As a lead-up to his upcoming album New Ways of Getting Old, “Open Up” feels like a mission statement.

It’s less about looking back with regret, or forward with delusion, but about standing exactly where you are and choosing honesty. Here, Collins writes from the inside out, from a place that values clarity over cool.

“Open Up” is here to connect with you. And that can be hard to do, but George Collins is able to pull it off in just the right way.

Listen to “Open Up” on Spotify now!

Find out more about George Collins on his Website