Grey is honest about the unpleasant realisation that failure isn’t necessarily due to the industry, label, or people around you. Sometimes, it’s on you. The hook line to the song, “it’s easier to point the finger at everyone else (your labels/managers etc etc) for your failures as an artist, I have come to terms with everything has been my fault, is both deeply tragic and deeply clearing. It’s the sort of moment that could easily turn into an excuse for self-pity, but Grey delivers it with a clarity that feels like maturity. She’s not asking for pity, she’s stating a fact.
With “Motivation,” Skylar Grey shows she is more than a great songwriter, but also a storyteller capable of conveying weakness as strength. It’s a song that doesn’t have easy answers, but one that has something more valuable. This is a song for everyone who has ever blamed the world for his or her own shortcomings, and for anyone courageous enough to apologize.
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