“He Made Sure Those Years Count”: Anne Wilson Shares Beautiful, Heartbreaking New Song, ‘23’, Written For Her Late Brother, Jacob

Anne Wilson has taken to Instagram to share a deeply moving new song on her 23rd birthday, titled ‘23’, penned in honour of her brother, Jacob, who passed away in 2017 at the same age.

They say that when it comes to grief, even when the pain of losing a loved one starts to show signs of easing, their absence is brought viscerally back into the foreground on milestones.

Anne Wilson has captured this specific anguish beautifully in her new offering, evocatively conveying the mixed emotions she is experiencing at having reached the age her brother was when he passed. ‘23’ finds the ‘Songs About Whiskey’ singer-songwriter nimbly navigating the aching realisation that, while she will one day look back at ‘23’ as just another chapter in her life, her brother won't get to do the same.

In the caption, the Kentucky native has explained the inspiration behind the piano-driven ballad, toasting the way Jacob approached his life, “Today is my 23rd birthday and I can’t help but think of my brother Jacob. He lived 23 beautiful years of life before the Lord called him home. He sure made those years count and I hope to do the same with mine. I wrote this song a couple weeks ago to express all the ways I’m feeling today. I hope you all love it as much as I do”.

In trademark Anne Wilson fashion, the genre-blending artist has found a way to use her music to radiate warmth and light, even when the subject matter is heavy and grief-stricken. It's a full-circle moment, with Wilson's music career starting after a video of her singing Hillsong Worship's ‘What a Beautiful Name’ at Jacob's funeral went viral.

Throughout ‘23’, Anne Wilson chooses to view life through the lens of quality, not quantity, as she reflects on how rich and vibrant Jacob's 23 years on this planet were, “Make a wish blow out the candles / But I still see there's an empty chair where you're supposed to be / Next to me, twenty-three / They say I got my whole life in front of me / But ever since you left it's harder to believe / These tears are teaching me”.

She goes on, “That time ain't no friend, all it ever does is end / How as I supposed to know it'd be so soon / Oh, but you sure made it count / Boy, you ran that road right out / Made the most of every second God gave you / And I'll be lucky to live half the life in the time that He gives me / Than all the years you fit in only twenty three”.

Currently, ‘23’ has been released exclusively via social media, but given how poignant and striking this new song is, we're hoping Anne Wilson makes it available on streaming platforms sooner rather than later. The Contemporary Christian and Country artist is believed to be working on her keenly awaited REBEL follow-up album.

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