TRACK PREMIERE: Blacklite District gets personal & powerful with ‘The Struggle XL’

Blacklite District

The success of certain songs all but calls for them to be reworked and re-released so that a whole new audience of music fans can discover their brilliance. One such song that’s having this treatment is Blacklite District’s “The Struggle XL”, a revamped version of his 2016 smash “The Struggle.”

The original has to-date amassed more than 10 million streams on Spotify with the Minecraft-themed video having been viewed 53 million times. This new reimagining highlights not only how fantastic the song is, but also the growth and development of Blacklite – real name Kyle Pfeifer – as an artist and human being.

Blacklite enlisted the help of multi-platinum producer Brett Hestla to bring a new edge and meaning to the single, inspired by a letter he received from a fan a few months ago. Kyle explains: “He wrote me the most personal letter about how “The Struggle” had literally saved his life. I wrote this song from the darkest depths of my own life, and to see it shine through and make a real impact is more than I could ever ask for. That’s why I knew I had to take this track into the studio. I think it has new life because of my drummer Graham Spillman and guitarist Justin Sundlin. The energy these guys brought into the studio was something I haven’t felt in a long time.”

He goes on to share: “It’s been quite the journey from releasing the original version of ‘The Struggle’ back in 2016, to releasing ‘The Struggle XL’ now. This song basically took on a life of its own within a month of coming out. It was the first track of mine that started gaining momentum in the gaming world on YouTube, and showing up in different anime videos. It’s hands down one of the biggest songs of my career, but l always felt it was lacking something.”

 The song has a deep and personal meaning to Kyle, with experiences and moments in his life – notably his struggles with addition and mental health issues – playing a huge part in his decision to re-release it. “Once I got out of treatment and started thinking clearly again, it was obvious that I needed to re-do some of these older joints with my producer Brett Hestla, and the boys in the band,” he says. “And as per usual, they over delivered. From Justin’s dark open chords, and Graham’s natural ability to groove, the soul finally shines through the way it always should have in The Struggle XL!

Listen to ‘The Struggle XL’ – BELOW:

 

Xsnoize Author
Rebecca Haslam 90 Articles
Rebecca writes about pretty much any and all music but is a big pop-rock-indie fan. She loves the likes of Panic!. Fall Out Boy and Green Day, but is pretty old school too with Roxette and ABBA on many of her playlists. When not writing, she enjoys travelling far and wide, attending theatre and music shows, reading and spending time with friends.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*