Ryan Perdz Wants ‘Heavy Eyes’ to Reach Fans ‘Who Sometimes Can’t Speak for Themselves’

Some songs find you exactly when you need them. Ryan Perdz hopes "Heavy Eyes" is one of them.

On Friday, May 15, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter will release the dark, emotional new single — a song about loss, mental health, and the weight of moving forward when someone you love no longer can.

"The inspiration behind 'Heavy Eyes' is the struggle of losing someone and the weight it holds in your life," Perdz said in a statement. "It's a track that I believe will really help people who struggle with mental health. My lyrics will speak to the people who sometimes can't speak for themselves."

That message is hitting at the right time. A 2026 Grow Therapy report found that nearly a third of Gen Z Americans now seek professional support after a loss — compared to just 23% of Baby Boomers — while a separate 2025 Tebra study reported that 92% of Americans say music has helped them through difficult times. More than half have even used it as an alternative to traditional therapy.

Perdz has been writing for that exact audience for years. The multi-instrumentalist built a million-plus TikTok following during the pandemic by posting acoustic grunge covers online, with his rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" alone racking up over 60 million views. The viral momentum caught the attention of Big Machine Rock, which signed him in January 2025.

"Ryan feels like a generational talent," the label’s then-chairman Scott Borchetta said in a statement at the time. "He has just enough heartbreak, grunge swagger, keen pop sensibility and sly sense of humor to continually keep you guessing as to where he's going to go next with his music and lyrics."

“Working with Ryan was an incredible experience. You never know what you are going to get when you throw musicians and models into the acting space but both of them absolutely excelled. Ryan’s musical performance on screen is heartfelt and honest and his emotion really comes through,” Matt Akana, the music video’s director, notes.

The signing landed Perdz in the middle of a growing grunge revival, with industry figures like former Hole drummer Scott Lipps ranking him No. 3 on his Top 5 New Grunge Bands list.

Since joining Big Machine Rock, the New York native has released a steady run of emotionally honest singles, including "January," "Temporary," and "Sour" — which Perdz described as "a song about self hatred" and "a stubborn way of yearning for change but not knowing where to begin."

"Heavy Eyes" drops everywhere Friday, May 15.