Edem Soul Music - THE PERFECTIONIST (Tiny Desk 2025 Submission)

Edem Soul Music - THE PERFECTIONIST (Tiny Desk 2025 Submission)
Edem K. Garro, Kendall Wooden, Collin Smith
Edem Soul Music is a First-Generation, Ghanaian-American, who blends music from various languages and instruments to make music from the soul. The song ‘THE PERFECTIONIST’ aims to paint a picture of Edem’s personal challenge in confronting and accepting the reality of her ‘Perfectionist’ side. The song to Edem is in itself inherently ‘imperfect’. There are flaws, but the message of the song aims to confront the belief of “if I just add a little bit more, then it/I will be perfect”.
Edem’s lyric “But, I hope, I dream, I try to believe” paints the picture of what it feels like mentally to be torn between the reality of; even though the work may never be good enough by our standards, maybe we can just sit with it as it is. We’ve come all this way into existence, and before we know it, we will be gone. So the hope is that one day, we can just live in the impermanence of life with a bit more ease. Understanding that we will never be perfect, but what we make of this life is all we should strive for, and that in-itself, is perfect.
We hope that if anyone out there struggles with the way they view themselves, their work or how they believe the world may view them, that they if they resonate with this song, that they understand that they are perfect just at they are. A 1 of 1. Post the thing, do the thing and remember to give yourself grace.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
This song means so much to me, because I have lived my whole life suffering from perfectionism. Will it ever be good enough, will it ever sound good enough, will people think this is good enough? Am I good enough?
The lyrics speak to how sometimes, I can't get out of my head or how I can't get out of my own way. But, I know there is that deeper part of me, that holds space for me and tells me that it is okay to be as I am. It is okay to fail, it is okay to not be perfect.
The melody is meant to express the tone of how I am torn between pessimism and hopefulness. I have dreams of being more accepting of myself, to give myself more grace, while being realistic with my ideals.
The words being simple, because it is more than enough, just as I am. Just as you are.
To anyone who experiences this, remember that life is passing us by while we are 'attempting' to become perfect, and we will never be perfect. Post the thing, release the thing, give away the thing, you are more ready than you actually believe you are.
So while I still have my feelings about this song, this video, this post, I am releasing this into the world, knowing that it is simply perfect as it is, because it was something I made, while I existed in this life. It was something made with life energy, made with intention, made with purpose and made with love.
#TinyDesk #TinyDesk2025 #EdemSoulMusic #NPR #Jazz #WorldMusic

[@VickieMarisMusic]

Lovely!🎶

[@FarAsMars]

Nice

[@lizpolinski]

Beautiful🎶🌺

[@coley877]

Giving DaVotchka vibes in all the good ways! 🔥

[@curatorchi]

🏆

[@mmmmm88192]

I’m going to have this one on repeat - youre so talented!!! ((This is Marie btw))

[@GREGO9903]

I thought this was Quiznos

[@mmmmm88192]

@@GREGO9903no this is Patrick

[@junkabilly]

Beautiful!

[@Asher-m9w]

Lovely🎉

[@stoneonethou8284]

Lovely🙏💚

[@EdemSoulMusic]

TYSM!!

[@coley877]

🥹❤️