Marilyn Hucek’s authentic vulnerability and emotional maturity shine through her remarkable art. With every single release, she conveys her personal experiences while maintaining a deep relatability for listeners. Her latest project, Love and Loss, is a touching dedication to her late father. Released during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Hucek divulges the heartache of losing her father to the disease and navigating life without him. Throughout the EP, she not only discusses her grief, but she also explores her experiences as a young woman—everything from love and loss. This project serves as a cathartic release for Hucek, and she hopes her honest words will provide comfort for anyone who has gone through similar hardships.
TRACKLIST
Man Of The House
I Tried
Hey!
LDR
Happy For You
Man Of The House (Acoustic)
Marilyn Hucek is an American-Chilean pop singer-songwriter based in her hometown of Washington D.C. Since a young age, she has dreamt of having a successful music career and even auditioned for The Voice. After not securing a spot on the contest, she lost all hope in her career. When the 2020 pandemic hit and her father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, caught Covid-19, the singer returned to songwriting to channel her feelings. This experience allowed her to have a healthy outlet for her emotions and rekindled her passion for the art. Furthermore, this was the moment that her first single, “Memories,” was born. Since her debut, she has released over a dozen singles and two EPs, including Love and Loss.
Man Of The House
Hucek begins her album with the most impactful event—her father’s passing. “Man Of The House” details the singer’s attempt to navigate life after losing her father. From the very first line, Hucek brings tears to her listener’s eyes and continues to pierce their heart for the remainder of the track. With two simple lines, she illustrates the emptiness in her house now that her father is gone and introduces the audience to the meaning of the song. The lawn is overgrown and the chandelier still needs to be fixed, things she always relied on her father to do. She continues to break the listener’s heart with the lyrics: “I’m left hoping you’d walk through the door// I hear your boots on the floor//But there’s nobody there// No sound of your voice.” She beautifully paints this melancholic scene in which she still feels her father may walk in at any moment, but he never does. Then she leads into the heart-wrenching chorus with the lyrics: “I know I don’t have a choice// Believe me I know// I’m the man of the house now// I’ve got something to prove// I’m the man of the house now// Stepping into your shoes.” Hucek reveals that she is not only mourning the loss of her beloved father, but now she has to take over his duties. Mowing the lawn, paying the bills, taking out the trash. She knows he would be proud, and it pains her that he will never come home to tell her that. Throughout the alt-pop production, Hucek’s powerful vocals contain such strong passion and raw emotion that it is clear to the audience just how real these words are to her. She is lost without her father, but she needs to take care of the household. It is her duty to ensure her family is okay, and I just know her father is looking down from Heaven with a proud smile on his face.
I Tried
Hucek switches gears with the second track, as “I Tried” discusses the aftermath of a break-up. After her former partner shattered her world and left her broken hearted, the singer did anything she could to drown out the pain. From drinking one too many drinks to downloading every dating app she could, Hucek made it her mission to move on. But no matter what she did, she found herself drawn to her ex. In the chorus, she confesses: “I dealt with the heartbreak// But it caught me off guard// That I can’t heal this heartache// Yeah, you don’t know how hard, hard// I tried to get over you.” Despite this, her effort is done in vain as she cannot seem to find closure. The singer continues her vulnerable storytelling with the desolate bridge as she reveals her attempt to rekindle the romance, only to be left rejected. She had “poured her heart out like a movie,” only for the one she loved to tell her they were “better apart.” Now love scorned with no hope, Hucek is left with an unending flow of tears. Her honest lyrics perfectly describe a blindsided heartbreak, making “I Tried” a perfect break-up song.
Hey!
After the first two melancholic tracks, “Hey!” brings a new energy full of positivity and life. The song explores the excitement of a blooming crush and watching it turn into an epic romance. The sweet lyrics of the first verse details Hucek meeting her muse when she was sixteen and slowly gaining their attention. After saying “hey” at a party of a mutual friend, their relationship began to grow, and the second verse explores their teenage romance. As the singer continues through the bridge, the audience learns that the couple are still together after graduation. Hucek reveals that while she stayed home, her partner left town for college. The song turns to a hopeless romantic anthem about believing their relationship will last, despite the world saying long distance is doomed to fail. The singer’s sweet voice contains such hope and joy that the listener cannot help but want to root for the young couple. Paired with the bouncy production, her optimism is incredibly contagious, making “Hey!” the most uplifting and joyful song on the project.
LDR
Keeping with the energy and theme of the previous track, “LDR” stands for long distance relationship and radiates the same hope and optimism of “Hey!” Hucek is head-over-heels for her partner and does not want their love to ever end. They make her feel so adored and treat her in the way she deserves. The upbeat, pop production paired with the elation in her voice creates an atmosphere of infectious happiness. She makes it apparent to her audience that she will never give up on her partner and that their love will withstand the distance. In the chorus, she tells them, “The distance in our relationship doesn’t matter because you’re worth it.” As someone who has been in a long-distance relationship, I have heard the negativity of others that it will “never last”, and we were “doomed from the start.” Now married over two years, “LDR” was the song I needed during our long distance. We are one of the rarities that made it through the rough times, and having this song at the time would have made me feel less alone. Nevertheless, I know that Hucek is giving confidence and comfort to couples everywhere who are still handling their long distance. Once again, the singer has used her personal experiences to craft a beautiful song that effortlessly resonates with listeners.
Happy For You
“Happy For You” is a break-up song that is a stark juxtaposition of “I Tried.” While the second track discusses her inability to move on from heartache, “Happy For You” explores the freedom after the end of a relationship. Rather than staying bitter and sad, Hucek tells her ex-partner that she is happy they have moved on. Furthermore, she emphasizes her own closure and proves that time truly does heal all wounds. Instead of her holding a grudge and looking back at their relationship with regret, she cherishes the time they spent together. She recognizes that sometimes people change and grow apart, and that is exactly what happened to them. In the outro, she wistfully sings: “We both moved on, that’s good for us// I’m happy for you.” Another crucial theme of the song is just how much life changes when you no longer keep someone in your life. When you catch up, months or years down the line, your life may be completely different. In the first verse, Hucek references this experience and even alludes to her late father’s illness. She tells her partner that while her mother still paints, her sister now lives in Spain. She then goes on to say that her father is “in a home with round the clock aid.” Referencing her father brings the listener back to the inspiration for the EP, while the casual tone she uses makes the audience feel that they are listening in on the conversation between the two exes. “Happy For You” is a brilliant display of Hucek’s emotional intelligence and personal growth.
Man Of The House (Acoustic)
Hucek ends the EP with a stripped-down version of her solemn lead single, “Man Of The House.” This version maintains the upbeat energy of the original, but the acoustic production contains a raw atmosphere that makes the song more heartfelt. The desperation and hurt behind Hucek’s voice is more evident due to the stripped-down instrumentation. With only her compelling vocals and the acoustic guitar, the song returns to its delicate form. It is as if the singer has transported her listener directly to her room when she first sat down to write the track. Rather than focusing on the bells and whistles of the synth-pop production, this acoustic rendition draws focus on the vulnerable lyrics. Although both versions tug on the heartstrings, the raw nature of this production evokes even more tears and sorrow. Ending the EP with the same song she started with was a brilliant decision, as it brings the entire project into a full circle moment. While the other tracks on the album focus more on her romantic relationships, Hucek makes sure that the project emphasizes her true inspiration— the passing of her late father.
Hucek has a raw, effortless talent of taking her most devastating hardships and turning them into comforting words, both for herself to listen back to and for her thousands of fans. Love and Loss is a crucial project for the artist, as it comes from the darkest moment in her life. The lead track, “Man Of The House” describes the “whirlwind of emotions” she felt after losing her father to Alzheimer’s. This cluster of feelings inspired the theme for the entire EP, allowing Hucek to eloquently tie her thoughts together and express them in a healthy manner. While not every song discusses the moment she lost her father, it is the singer’s wish that her EP brings awareness to the disease and hopes that it is a warm embrace for those experiencing similar circumstances. With her poetic words, Hucek has beautifully done just that.
Alzheimer's Diseases Awareness Resources:
In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month and Hucek's inspiration behind Love and Loss, here are some resources that may provide you additional knowledge and support regarding the disease.
Written By Karlee Skipper
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