The new single from New York City-based musician and activist Rachael Sage is beautiful in every sense: the song’s theme and sentiment have real meaning; it’s gorgeously arranged and performed; and the accompanying video makes its own moving statement. Delicate guitar is supported by lightly rhythmic percussion from Andy Mac, sonorous swells of cello from Tom Valdez and flourishes of Kevin J. Killen’s harmonica in this reimagined acoustic rendition of Sage’s song Nexus. In the choruses, and towards the song’s close, heavenly backing vocals lift Sage’s voice in a melodic, quivering flutter. Sage’s vocal performance is emotive and intimate; her sweet, soulful tune is interspersed with spoken questions and, in this absorbing video, people write down their answers – it feels personal and authentic. Those messages are left, lit by candlelight, for us to read at the end.
Ultimately, there’s a hopefulness and strength in Sage’s words: “We can lift each other up with our resolve instead of doing nothing // We can lift each other up with our resolve instead of giving up.” That important message of resilience, however, is a heartfelt response to bullying, persecution and tragedy. It is Sage’s lyrical, poetic and sensitive reaction to a deep sense of loss: “I look around at my life all I see are holes // I wander slowly about from room to room // There’s such a quietude now where you would dance // A chasm of everything where you were once // And I don’t think when people chant your name they have // Any idea what joy you’d bring.” How beautifully expressed.
Sage explains the song: “I wrote ‘Nexus’ almost immediately after reading about nonbinary student Nex Benedict and the tragic story of their death after being violently beaten by their school peers. The horror of learning about the cruelty and violence to which they were subjected – and how the local community and their school did nothing to stop it from happening, even when they had the opportunity – struck a very deep and personal chord as my first bandmate took his own life rather than come out to his parents. All I could think of when this song fell out was the unimaginable suffering of Nex’s family, long after the headlines faded. The song recounts something very tragic, but I also felt it was crucial to draw some hope out of how we can come together. Fear and silence are best combatted by standing together and doing our best to show solidarity. By raising our voices collectively against hate, we can shift the cultural tide for the better. This song is about mourning, survival and transformation – and how in dark times we need and must be there to lift each other up, all the more.”
Originally a lush, powerful song on the 2025 album Canopy, produced with GRAMMY-nominee Mikhail Pivovarov, this version of Nexus will feature on Sage’s forthcoming acoustic collection Under My Canopy. Due for release on MPress/Universal later this year, the record revisits Sage’s songs with new arrangements, acoustic instrumentation and a sense of intimacy. This approach works wonderfully in Nexus, which is a purposeful call for greater inclusion and empathy. As well as a fine, award-winning musician, Sage is a philanthropic advocate who has raised money for a wide range of causes, including Foundation for Women’s Cancer, WHY Hunger, American Refugee Committee/Alight, National Network For Youth (NN4Y), The Trevor Project and Rainbow Mind (UK). Her empathetic voice shines in Nexus. Be absorbed.
