On his appearance in The Unwind, Yahoo Life’s well-being series, Hayes revealed he had been battling anxiety since his very first tour. As he began making a name for himself as a musician, he started internalizing the pressure he felt from fame.
He built a belief system that convinced him that his songs needed to be perceived well if he wanted to be successful. The stress accumulated over time and eventually culminated in anxiety issues that he had to deal with for a long time.
Hayes found himself in a dilemma, and he couldn’t get rid of the source of his anxiety as it was music that he loved dearly. After years of struggle, he finally figured out the answer to the mental health problem that had been haunting him — to rebuild his love and relationship with music.
The Masked Singer contestant changed his outlook on success and mental health, opening up about them starting from his 2014 song ‘Invisible.’ The song allowed him to grow closer to his fans by facilitating conversations about mental health.
It opened the door because I realized people would understand that. I had totally different conversations with fans. They were sharing stories about their lives and they were trusting me with parts of their story that really allowed for genuine, human connection.
Hayes has been actively trying to spread awareness regarding mental health ever since. In September 2020, he helped raise funds for TWLOHA, a non-profit movement, on World Suicide Prevention Day.
