On “Afraid To Go Outside,” W.Y. Huang uses a soft, resonant guitar paired with close, dry vocals/percussion to make a sonic room you do not want to leave. This space is the perfect setting to feel the introspection and loneliness of our Singapore-born, NY-residing introvert’s lyrics.
“if I close my eyes and close the blinds
the world stops turning inside my mind
if I close my eyes and close the blinds
the world still burns inside my mind.”
The third song on his new album On Stranger Hills, “Afraid to go outside,” released Sep. 23rd, 2026, is a perfect example of using textures in a song to aid the songwriting. The closeness of the whispery vocals makes the song feel like a heartfelt and guilty confession. If you follow his lead, close your eyes and the blinds while listening, and the subtle electric guitar and piano come in and transport you to the lonely, empty room Huang sings about. The contrast of the upbeat, bright claps lets us know this is where our singer is happy and comfortable.
On top of the textures aiding the theme, the overall songwriting being melancholic perfectly portrays the idea of feeling this comfort in isolation but knowing it’s a bad tendency.
“Sometimes I feel too much
when things go quiet moving further out of touch”
This anxiety is something we can all relate to- Huang has seemingly mastered this deeply personal yet universally relatable songwriting, proven by his 2024 album, Knots, which has netted him hundreds of thousands of streams!
You can see Huang perform this song on his various social media accounts and see his anxiety for yourself. Performances of this song outside have an added stressful demeanor- it almost looks painful for him. Whereas his performances in the apartment show him where he clearly feels his best. You can see him relax a bit and smile- like a mix of playing the song and being where he’s comfortable is the quick remedy to his outcastness. Though social isolation is a problem, this is his way of taking it “one step at a time,” as he put it- evidence of the music helping Huang “fade away.”
I couldn’t imagine the social complexities that come with being an immigrant not causing agoraphobic tendencies, but the beauty of these blooming choruses and Huang’s career tell a second half of the story not let on by the song’s lyrics. Huang has made a life for himself here, making widely appreciated and accepted songs about these experiences. His being able to release this music is, in its own way, overcoming the social anxiety a little bit. It takes a lot to put yourself out there like this- and I personally am so grateful he has been able to. This is truly important music from an underrepresented group of people.
The full album On Stranger Hills is coming out on Nov. 4th, 2026, and I will be listening to W.Y. Huang alone in my room in anticipation until then.
Written by R. Bradley
