Everyone knows Drake Bell from the hit Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh — but what you may not know is that he’s also a musician!
The 37-year-old recently dropped his single “I Kind of Relate,” and fans want to know more about the inspiration behind the track.
Keep reading to see what Drake has said about his latest song.
Earlier this year, the former actor took part in the Discovery + series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV where he opened up about the abuse he endured while he was working as a child actor.
Over the years, Drake sought out help for his trauma and one of the biggest supporters came in the form of music.
“Music is really everything to me,” the artist told Access Hollywood in May 2024.
“I don’t journal or have a diary or anything, but that’s how I’ve been able to get my thoughts out when something affects me in life, or I have events going on or experiences. I tend to get them out through song – that’s like my journaling,” he added.
Through this process, Drake revealed that his song “I Kind Of Relate” was inspired by a realization he had while dealing with his past, which led him to seek out group therapy.
However, during these sessions, the singer said that he “always felt alone in it.”
“I always felt, ‘How do I tell my story? No one’s going to understand. I’m going to be judged. No one gets what I’m going through.’”
Despite those feelings, Drake began to learn more about himself with the group as time passed on.
“In these group settings, I was able to hear other stories and other people’s similar experiences, and it really gave me strength and let me know I’m not alone, and that other people relate,” he said.
When it came time to jotting his feelings down, Drake explained how it led him to writing the track.
“As I was sitting down and writing this song, that was the first lyric that came to my head. I was just sitting there, and I’m like, ‘I kind of relate / I found beauty in my pain.’”
“I would go through the thoughts of, ‘Is this going to destroy me? I can’t let it destroy me. But is this going to break me?’ And turning that on its head and saying, ‘Let’s use this as a strength. Let’s use this as a superpower,’” he added.
With his newfound courage, Drake released his song on March 18, 2024, which was met with tons of support and praise.
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