Haven Madison’s gripping new single, “Why Do The Pills Work,” is a confession, an awakening, and  a release all at once. It offers an honest look into her journey—one of vulnerability and isolation, but  with an upward twist. Her lyrics flow like a powerful stream of consciousness, drawn from a deeply  personal space, delivered with a voice that is both delicate and raw—haunting yet commanding. The song started as a line in her notebook and took over two years to come to life. “I had just started  taking anxiety medicine,” Haven shares. “I was a mess. I was crying every day. And then one day I  woke up—I was in a whole new world. And I remember thinking, is this what being normal feels like?  I wrote in my journal, Why do the pills work?” That realization led to deep introspection, but she  wasn’t ready to write the song yet. 

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A year later, during a collaborative session, she brought up the phrase, “If nothing is wrong with me,  why do the pills work?” and the reaction was immediate—this song had to be written. “I remember  leaving the room thinking, wow, that felt so good to get off my chest, but I’m never showing that to  anyone.” Eventually, she took the leap, posting a teaser on TikTok. The response was immediate— and palpable. 

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While not shying away from writing about mental health, Haven notes, “There’s this weird guilt that  comes with getting help. People say, ‘I have anxiety, I have depression.’ But when someone says, ‘I  take medicine or go to therapy,’ the response isn’t always positive, and that’s unfair. You deserve  whatever brings you peace, helps you sleep, and lets you exist without feeling that impending dark  gray cloud of doom.” 

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Haven doesn’t just write songs—she has to. “There are so many songs in my head,” she says.  “We’re in a time where everybody’s hurting—it doesn’t make sense for art not to reflect that.”  Fortunately, writing comes naturally to the 19-year-old, who has been crafting songs for as long as  she can remember. With a fierce sense of purpose and confidence, her music carries a depth  beyond her years, much like her biggest influences, including Lorde, Raye, and Miley and Noah  Cyrus. For her, songwriting is a release. “Castle,” written after a breakup, is laced with hope for  what’s next, brought to life through breathy, ethereal vocals. “I wrote it about somebody I don’t know  yet—my soulmate I can’t wait to meet.” Another song, “Shapeshifter,” came from a gut-punch  moment—seeing an ex with someone new, realizing they had morphed into a completely different  version of themselves, and questioning if the person you knew was ever real. 

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Though proficient in both piano and guitar, Haven feels most at home writing at the piano, where  melodies and emotions flow effortlessly, but she has adapted to writing on guitar as well. “It became  my best friend,” Haven reveals, “especially in this last year living in the city. You can't fit a big old  grand piano in an apartment, so I got real comfortable with a guitar around my neck.” Nothing  replaces writing on the family grand piano, however, as she notes, “That piano has soaked up so  many tears from my life.” 

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Haven’s journey is about more than her soul-baring lyrics—it’s about pushing forward, creating, and  finding strength in the process. She carries visible reminders of resilience—an imperfect heart tattoo  symbolizes the beauty that comes from heartbreak, and a quote from Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in   the Arena speech reads, “Daring greatly.” “It’s about being the person who tries, not the one who  never knows victory or defeat.” 

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With new music on the horizon, the doors are opening, and Haven is ready to step through each  one. “It’s like I’ve been picking up a 400-pound leg and just trying to move it forward,” she says. That  step isn’t just about releasing songs—it’s about embracing growth and the artist she’s becoming. “I  want to appreciate who I was at 16, 17, and 18. But this is 19-year-old Haven—she’s different, and  she’s allowed to be.”