photo by Elena Stanton and Joe Horton; image courtesy of September Gurl Music
Single Review of Chastity Brown: “Year of Twenty-Six”
This past winter in singer-songwriter Chastity Brown‘s neighborhood in Minneapolis, Renee Good was killed. In the days that followed, Brown channeled her emotional turmoil in the wake of that senseless event into a song, this song, “Year of Twenty-Six.”
Brown chose to write the song from the perspective of Good’s widow, with her powerful delivery and first-person approach adding incredible power. When Brown’s voice cracks, it hits especially hard for this very reason.
photo by Brad Ogbonna; photo courtesy of September Gurl Music
Brown’s sparse, deliberate pianowork marries with the cello and emotionally-delivered vocals to create a very mournful, touching, impactful work of art. You don’t need to know the story behind it to feel it in your heart. But, of course, we all know, and that just makes it hit harder… and more tragically.
If there’s one song that sums up 2026 so far, sadly this is it.
From a musical perspective – and I know this isn’t why she created this powerful piece – for those of us previously unfamiliar with Chastity Brown, this should cause us to want to explore more of her music, like her 2022 album Sing to the Walls.
As for the song itself, all proceeds from the song’s sale via this Bandcamp link are earmarked, per the press release and Bandcamp page, to go to “Minnesota-based Organizations that are working to help Minnesotans affected by the actions of ICE in their communities.”
