The Tower by Lily Powers

Brooklyn-based indie artist Lily Powers makes a powerful debut with "The Tower", a raw, deeply personal song about healing, growth, and stepping into your own power. Recorded and mixed in her apartment, the track draws inspiration from artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Ethel Cain, and Dijon. But more than just a song, "The Tower" is a milestone. It is Lily’s first release since transitioning, a sonic representation of reclaiming herself and her voice.

It begins simply: a soft guitar strum, a delicate piano melody shifting just enough to be noticed if you’re really listening. Then, Lily’s voice emerges, so angelic yet heavy with emotion, demanding attention without force. Every word, every breath, begs you to lean in, to truly hear what she’s saying.

“Life can’t be all that bad…”

This lyric is like a quiet plea, a fragile hope, and the desire to see past the bad and hold onto something good. It’s no easy task; it’s easier said than done. But this worldview, the belief that there’s always something brighter beyond the walls built around us, is crucial. It’s about finding grace for yourself, about choosing to seek light rather than let the darkness consume you.

“To be met with anger, it makes me want to die.”

That line lingers. The weight of it sinks into my skin, burning and boiling in my blood. How does simply existing make strangers so angry? Where is the solution to that? What do you do when your identity, your truth, is met with hostility instead of love? When just being feels like an act of defiance?

“Cause all I want is to be seen.”

That lyric breaks me; the desperation of wanting to be recognized not for who the world told you to be but for who you truly are. Lily’s vulnerability in this song is staggering, yet it is delivered in a way that could almost be missed if you’re not really listening. But if you are, if you sit with it, if you let it sink in, it hits like a punch to the gut. Do you ever think about what it means not to be seen? To have people look right through you, or worse, tell you that you don’t exist? That’s what this lyric conveys: the raw, aching emotion of having to fight for your right to simply be. A battle waged with blood, sweat, and tears, just for the basic dignity of being acknowledged.

The song builds with sirens wailing, the guitar warping, and vocal effects morphing Lily’s voice like a cry into the void. The emotions swell, suffocating yet freeing, as if she’s forcing herself to be heard in a world that so often refuses to listen. It’s the turmoil of being torn between who you are and who others expect you to be, the exhaustion of fighting to be seen, of refusing to be erased. And yet, in its simplicity of being just piano, guitar, and perfectly placed production elements, “The Tower” is far from unremarkable. It’s an anthem, a marker of Lily’s journey, a fearless step into an uncertain but undeniable future.

As I sit here listening, I can’t help but be overcome by emotion. This song isn’t just for Lily; it’s for everyone who has ever had to fight for their right to exist. For those who have been told they are too much, not enough, or that who they are isn’t valid. For every person who has felt the weight of proving their own humanity.

I just want to end this by saying that trans people are REAL. They are here, and they are not going anywhere.

And to Lily, thank you. Thank you for sharing this piece of yourself, for allowing us the immense pleasure of hearing this song and being a part of your journey as an artist. Your voice, your story, and your existence matter.