"The Struggle is Real" is a raw, relatable anthem that delves into the frustrations and challenges of independent artists navigating SoundCloud's ever-changing landscape. With honest lyrics and an infectious beat, this hip-hop track captures the emotional highs and lows of striving for recognition in a crowded digital space. From algorithmic uncertainty to self-doubt, the song's narrative resonates with anyone who's faced similar struggles. Yet, its message of resilience and determination inspires listeners to keep pushing forward. Authentic, heartfelt, and energetic, "The Struggle is Real" is a testament to the enduring spirit of creatives refusing to give up on their dreams.


LYRICS:

[Intro]
Yo, listen up, let me share my tale,
About the grind on SoundCloud, where the struggle prevails,
Tryna make a name, but it's hard to gain,
In a sea of artists, it's easy to remain.

[Verse 1]
Upload after upload, but the plays ain't right,
Algorithms changing, day and night,
Tryna reach the top, but it's slipping away,
N oomments or likes, the engagement's gray.

I'm chasing clout, but it's hard to claim,
My voice is drowned, in this digital game,
Thousands of tracks, but mine's getting lost,
The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

[Chorus]
The struggle is real, on SoundCloud streets,
Tryna get noticed, but it's hard to compete,
Thousands of tracks, but mine's getting lost,
The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

[Verse 2]
Promotion's key, but it's hard to afford,
Reachin' out to influencers, but they ignore,
Collaborations, but the chemistry's off,
Tryna find my sound, but it's hard to cough.

I'm tryna stand out, but it's hard to shine,
My music's fire, but it's hard to align,
With the right ears, with the right vibe,
The struggle is real, it's hard to thrive.

[Chorus]
The struggle is real, on SoundCloud streets,
Tryna get noticed, but it's hard to compete,
Thousands of tracks, but mine's getting lost,
The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

[Verse 3]
Networkin', engage, repeat the cycle,
But the visibility's low, it's hard to smile,
Frustration mounts, feelin' like a fail,
Questionin' my craft, maybe I should bail?

I'm tryna stay true, to my art and soul,
But the numbers game, is takin' its toll,
Tryna balance, creativity and fame,
The struggle is real, it's a never-endin' game.

[Chorus]
The struggle is real, on SoundCloud streets,
Tryna get noticed, but it's hard to compete,
Thousands of tracks, but mine's getting lost,
The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

[Bridge]
But I won't give up, no way, no how,
Gonna keep pushin', makin' moves, somehow,
Gonna find my niche, my sound, my style,
Gonna make it happen, all the while.

[Verse 4]
I see the success, of others on the rise,
And I wonder why, it's hard to realize,
That everyone's grind, is different and unique,
And my time will come, if I just keep.

[Chorus]
The struggle is real, on SoundCloud streets,
Tryna get noticed, but it's hard to compete,
Thousands of tracks, but mine's getting lost,
The struggle is real, no matter the cost.

[Outro]
The struggle is real, but I won't quit,
Gonna rise above, no matter the hit,
SoundCloud, I'm comin' for the top,
The struggle is real, but my grind won't stop.

The Struggle is Real (Version1)

MANIC MONDAY
Original song written by Prince & recorded by The Bangles
Version by Overdrive & Antoine Guigan

"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). It was written by American musician Prince using the pseudonym "Christopher" and was originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so she could continue relaxing. The single, released by Columbia Records on Monday January 27, 1986, received generally positive reviews from music critics and some comparisons with The Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It became The Bangles' first hit, reaching number two in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in Austria, Canada, Germany and Ireland, and peaked within the top five in Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. It was later certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
(https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2356591/bangles/manic%20monday)


KINDNESS INC

Musical project by French singer and instrumentalist Antoine Guigan, a musician heavily influenced by hip hop, electro, and folk. He has an incredibly powerful voice and is a skilled melodica player. I recommend visiting his excellent Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/kindnessinc

Antoine's first EP is available on all platforms: ffm.to/sailors-ep

LYRICS

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino
By a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late
'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an air-o-plane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long
Just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

All of the nights
Why did my lover have to pick last night
To get down
Doesn't it matter
That I have to feed the both of us
Employment's down
He tells me in his bedroom voice
C'mon honey, let's go make some noise
Time it goes so fast
(When you're having fun)

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
It's just another manic Monday

Manic Monday

It is a polyphonic song composed as an elegy, lament, or mourning song for friends who have recently passed away.

 Below is a detailed explanation of the work in three languages:

Explanation in English:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wAm8l7SfAR4KnIazIQnO0Qo-mJubp7Cd/view?usp=sharing

Explicación en castellano:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDckYDZfVcle5LCI_MMH3U90U5DAG7qa/view?usp=sharing

Explicació en català.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13I4_Jx1k0lBJRXdamI278gV8OAHdY1bK/view?usp=sharing

Com la cérvola deleix l’aigua

Hey!
Look at me
The tall one
With needles.
The one doing all the emotional labor here.
Let's begin.

Step one
Approach with respect
I may look patient
but I've been standing in the cold for months
don't make it weird
Fluff my branches gently
as if I'm royalty
and you're late with the tribute
No shaking
No "Oops"
We both know you're stronger than I am

Step two
Lights first
Please
Last year you wrapped them like a confused spider
having a nervous episode
This time
one smooth spiral
like you're teaching math
Not too tight
I like to breathe
Not too loose
I'm not a philosophy essay

Yes, I see you reaching for the tinsel
Don't
We're having a talk about that

Hang things evenly
I'm not here for your emotional asymmetry
No clumps of baubles
like I'm hoarding planets
If you must put the sentimental ornament
you made at age six
fine
just don't make it my center of gravity

Step three
Garlands
Choose one
Elegant ribbon
wooden beads
or that weird popcorn chain
your aunt insists is "traditional"
Do not combine all three
I'm a tree
not a buffet

Let's review the topper rules
no stars, none, zero
Try a ribbon swirl
a paper snowflake
or a miniature reindeer
questioning his life choices
And place it gently
your dramatic jump last year
made you limp through New Year's Eve

Hang things evenly
gravity is real
and I've met it
Balance the shiny
balance the strange
don't tilt me like
your work–life balance in November
I may look festive
but trust me
I judge

Step four
Stand back
Admire me
Pretend you participated in the process
more than you did
I'll allow it
Now plug me in
Watch the room glow
I do it for free, you know
But yes
you’re welcome

Take a photo
that makes me look taller
than the sofa
Then post it proudly
on your Instagram feed
I’ll handle the sparkle

DECORÄTEME

This song was born from watching from afar someone I care about more than words can say struggle through years of heartbreak, injustice, and loneliness. I wrote “Where the Quiet Knows Your Name” for my dear friend @DJShAnkAri, who has been carrying battles no one should ever have to face alone. Her strength, her pain, and her courage inspired every line of this song.

But somewhere along the way, the meaning grew bigger than just one person.

This song is about those moments when the world feels too heavy to hold—when fear or darkness creeps in and you can’t quite find your way back to yourself. It’s the voice that sits beside you in the quiet—whether it’s someone you love, someone you’ve lost, a higher presence, or even that tiny piece of strength inside you that refuses to disappear.

It’s a reminder that you don’t have to be strong every second. You don’t have to fight every battle alone. You don’t even have to move. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop, breathe, and let someone—or something—stay with you in the dark until the light comes back.

“Where the Quiet Knows Your Name” is my way of saying that no matter how lost you feel, you are not abandoned, forgotten, or unseen. Even in the stillness, even in the fear, even when you think no one could possibly understand… there is a presence that stays with you. A voice that knows your name. A quiet that holds you instead of hurting you.

Because this song was written for ShAnkAri, I also wanted to do something tangible to help her step out of the nightmare she’s been living through. I’ve started a GoFundMe to help her secure legal support and protect her and her family during this critical moment.
If you feel moved and are able to help — even a little — it truly means more than words. 🙏💜

👉 GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-shankaris-homeone-last-chance-for-justice

This song is for anyone who has ever felt alone in the shadows. I hope it wraps around you the way it wrapped around me while I wrote it… and the way I hope it wrapped around her. 🫂


LYRICS:

[Verse 1]
When the night hangs heavy on your window
And the air won’t let you breathe
When the world is loud with shadows
Sit down here… right next to me
Let the trembling have its moment
Let the weight do what it must
You don’t have to rise above it
Just be still… right where you trust

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m the whisper in the doorway
I’m the hand that doesn’t shake
When you can’t find where you’re going
I’m the place your fears can break

[Chorus]
Be still, and know you’re not forsaken
Be still… you don’t have to say a thing
When you’re lost and every light is taken
I’ll be where the quiet knows your name
Where the quiet knows your name

[Verse 2]
If the dark drips down your heartbeat
And your memories feel unkind
If the past crawls in beside you
Pulls your breath out of your mind
Let the hurt sit in its corner
Let the tears fall how they fall
Every storm you’ve carried inward
You don’t have to carry all

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m the echo when you’re hollow
I’m the anchor in the rain
When the path forgets to show you
I’ll remind you where you’ve been

[Chorus]
Be still, and know you’re not forsaken
Be still… you don’t have to say a thing
When you’re lost and every light is taken
I’ll be where the quiet knows your name
Where the quiet knows your name

[Bridge]
If the morning… never finds you
I’ll sit with you… in the night
If your hope… loses its color
I’ll stay until it’s bright
If you feel yourself unravel
Or forget your way again
I’ll be here… in every shadow
‘Til the shadows start to bend

[Final Chorus]
Be still, there’s nothing you must carry
Be still… you’re safe inside this flame
When the world feels far too dark to bear it
I’ll be where the quiet knows your name
Where the quiet knows your name

Where the Quiet Knows Your Name

Early 90's alt-rock meets it's long lost cousin in the form of 60's surf verses. 

The Illicit Frequencies EP

We Build Dazzling Ruins

Love Turns

Blurring lines between devotion, love and obsession

I've got a river running right into you,
Flowing wild and free, like the fire in my view.
I've got a blood trail, red in the blue,
Every step I take pulls me closer to the truth.
The taste of the divine, it’s burning in my veins,
Your touch ignites a storm, breaking all my chains.
You got my body, flesh, and bone, yeah,
The sky above and the earth below, what have you shown?

Raise me up again, take me past the edge,
I want to see the other side—oh, let me pledge.
Show me what it’s like, the thrill and the fear,
With you here beside me, I’ll drown out the sheer.

Raise me up again, take me past the edge,
Heaven and hell, a tightrope, I'm on the ledge.
My love, did I mistake you for a sign from God?
Or are you really here just to watch me nod?
Maybe just to turn me on, oh, can’t you see?
Caught up in your magic, it’s where I want to be.

'Cause these days, I would be lying if I told,
That I didn’t wish that I could hold you so bold.
Or maybe make a good girl bad for a night,
Together like a blaze, ready for the fight.
I've got a river running right into you,
I've got a blood trail, red in the blue.
Something you say or something you do,
The taste of the divine, oh, it feels so true.

You've got my body, flesh, and bone,
The sky above, and the earth below, we’re never alone.
Nothing to say and nowhere to go,
In this raw intensity, let our passions flow.

I've got a river running right into you,
A tempest between us, wild and true.
Through the chaos, we'll break every chain,
With a pulse on the edge—let me feel that pain.
Together we rise up, against the tide we feed,
In this raging river, love’s an eternal creed.

River Into You

Galaxies of Tragedy
Oh where is my sanity?
Poems read for vanity
This can’t be all that’s left of me!

It’s emptiness that fills the void
But when it’s full I get annoyed
I know it’s bull but I enjoy
Staring into nothingness.

Empty echoes in my head
Put me in a place of dread
And I realize that all the books I’ve read
Haven’t taught me nothing.

I’m back at beginning and beginning 
To budge got a grudge and not one nut
But I’m a nut that’ll gut any putz in the palodeum explode on him and load the kid with holes and shit…

Im here now
And I hear sounds
And I’m near proud
Of my mouth
And what comes out

Galaxies of Tragedy
Oh where is my sanity?
Poems read for vanity
This can’t be all that’s left of me!

It’s emptiness that fills the void
But when it’s full I get annoyed
I know it’s bull but I enjoy
Staring into nothingness.

I’m present
And resent
Both the past 
And the future
Feel super
Deal hoopla 
Real shooter
Meal looter
Tree climber
Line doer 
Fine, neuter 
Me I’m zany 
And crazy
And maybe
The day B
Too short
For these
Contortions
Of thought 
Your style
Is store bought
My swag is all wrought 
brought with thought

Im here now
And I hear sounds
And I’m near proud
Of my mouth
And what comes out

Galaxies of Tragedy
Oh where is my sanity?
Poems read for vanity
This can’t be all that’s left of me!

It’s emptiness that fills the void
But when it’s full I get annoyed
I know it’s bull but I enjoy
Staring into nothingness.

Galaxies Of Tragedy Ft. Gina Da Lesbian

Step back into a warmer, simpler Christmas with this classic-style remake of “Happy Holiday.” Inspired by the golden era of holiday music, this version captures the cozy charm of glowing fireplaces, decorated trees, and joyful nights spent with family and friends.

Featuring a timeless big-band feel, smooth vintage vocals, and that unmistakable old-school holiday spirit, this track is meant to sound like it belongs on a spinning vinyl record in a 1950s living room.

Whether you’re decorating the tree, driving through snowy streets, or just soaking in the season, this song is a heartfelt reminder of what the holidays are all about.

Thank you for listening, and from my home to yours — Happy Holiday!

Happy Holiday (Updated Remake)

This is life

***IMPORTANT PLEASE READ***
Hey everyone, I hope you’ll take a moment to read this. Our dear friend @DJShAnkAri in France is fighting to save her home after being the victim of a devastating construction scam — and now a bank error that threatens to leave her, her two sons, and her three cats homeless. 💔

She finally found a lawyer who can save her case, but she has to raise the fees quickly. This is her last chance for justice.

If you can help — even a little — it would mean the world. And if you can’t donate, sharing the link helps more than you know. 💜🙏

GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-shankaris-homeone-last-chance-for-justice

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read or support. It truly matters. 🫶


Songwriting has been a lifelong passion for me, dating back to elementary school when I first began crafting stories, poems, and eventually lyrics. As a former drummer in various bands, I always relied on others to bring my words to life musically. However, after a long hiatus from drumming, I decided to take the leap and learn to compose music to accompany my lyrics. Through classes and dedication, I've embarked on a new journey, breathing fresh life into old lyrics and penning new ones. You'll find a mix of older and newer works here. Especially for some of the lyrics. 

Music has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is being completely entranced by 'The Little Drummer Boy' as a very young child. There was something about the rhythm and the melody that just captivated me. I must have played it a thousand times, wearing the record out, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a drummer and to create that magic for others. 

But I was too young then, and of course, I couldn't afford a drum set just yet. So, I turned to writing as a way to express myself. As I mentioned above, I started with stories, then poems, and eventually, lyrics. I found that writing was not only a way to tap into my creativity, but also a way to process my emotions and experiences. 

As I grew older, my love for music only deepened. I realized that music has this incredible power to transport us to different times and places, to evoke emotions and memories that we thought were long forgotten. It's a universal language that can bring people together like nothing else can. 

For me, writing lyrics is a cathartic experience. It's a way for me to tap into my emotions, to process the world around me, and to create something that I hope will resonate with others. And when I hear my words come to life in a song, it's truly magical. It's a feeling that never gets old, and it's what keeps me coming back to music time and time again. 

I love many genres of music and artists of many genres. And if you listen to some of my songs, you will find that I like to make songs of different genres as well as mix different genres into each song. One of my all-time favorite bands is Evanescence, and I have made a lot of songs where I have tried my best to emulate that sound. 

Now, I have recently started experimenting with new sounds. I never heard of glitch beats before I took music classes, and now I'm fascinated with the sound, so I have been experimenting with glitch beats recently. 

I hope you enjoy some of my songs. And thanks so much to everyone who has been listening so far. I truly appreciate it. I welcome constructive feedback to help me grow as an artist, and I appreciate your support. ❤️





The Struggle is Real (Version1)

VickStiX