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CMT Premiere: Progressive Artist Twinnie Touches Upon Mental Health In "Welcome To The Club" Short Film

Twinnie: "I wanted to show that you can speak to someone. Therapy is not a weird thing. It can be really helpful."

Nearly a decade ago, mental health was rarely a topic of conversation - causing an alarming crisis in America. However, it's musicians and public figures with influence like Twinnie that brought the matter to light and broke down the therapy taboo.

The progressive creative released her four-track EP titled "Welcome To The Club" in early June, which pushes inclusivity and touches upon mental health. The well-rounded collection served as a call to action to encourage individuals to be themselves, despite societal standards. The singer-songwriter has a way with her words, as they have the power to instill confidence. To drive her initiative along, the songstress stitched her music videos together to create a short film that coveys her personal healing journey after a devastating breakup.

"This film is all the music videos combined. It will breathe new life into the EP, because I think visually seeing something can often make you feel a different way or connect a different way with the song," Twinnie told CMT. "So, I'm excited about that. It's really highlighting the importance of mental health and therapy. I'm a big advocate for that."

Twinnie wore several hats to bring her vision to life, as she served as the director and main character. From the very first scene, the artist places her heart on the line by inviting her fans into an intimate therapy session, where she explains that her life was turned upside down after separating from her significant other. Pure emotion transcends through the screen, and the audience is destined to feel the weight weighing heavily on her heart.

"I'm hoping this film will reconnect the audience with my personal story, but hopefully it will relate to theirs," she shared. "I have had therapy before and drew from personal experience. I didn't get married, but I almost got engaged. 'Welcome To The Club' is a montage of all my past relationships. I've drawn from the boyfriend who cheated on me and someone I was going to marry. I didn't because I wanted to follow my dream, that was really hard. When you see me cry, it took me back to certain moments, and it was easy to feel that pain again," she added.

The therapist within the captivating motion picture walks Twinnie through the five stages of grief and explains that one can still mourn the loss of someone still living. As the vocalist delivers each track – listeners will embark on her long process through grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Fans will quickly recognize that there is strength in being vulnerable, and the deeper you get, the more liberating it can be.

"I wanted to show that you can speak to someone. Therapy is not a weird thing. It can be really helpful, I needed to show that journey in four songs," she declared. "I think with our pain and trauma comes our biggest growth. Sometimes our biggest triumphs, leads us to a place or to the person we're meant to be. These are the kind of things I was experiencing when I was making this music."

The promising new artist said she turned to close family and friends to make the short film happen. Forming a safe space gave the storyteller the confidence to open up and create a lifetime of memories.

"I did this whole film with all my friends and family. That's why I got these amazing locations, just people chipping in. I was filming with some of my best friends on the planet, and I had my grandparents there as well," she said before revealing a behind-the-scenes secret. "I had this moment where I couldn't cry on cue, I'm an actress, and I'm meant to do that. I ended up getting the giggles, and I couldn't stop. I ended up rubbing onion into my pupils to make me cry," Twinnie pointed out while laughing.

Although Twinnie had to go the extra mile to get every shot and angle, she told CMT it was worth it. After watching the final edit, the songstress said she was "Dying Inside" and was hit with a wave of emotions.

"I cried because I couldn't believe I pulled it off because I produced it. I did everything, down to the little details. So, I was super proud, and I don't say this often, I created it all and that is an achievement," she concluded.

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