Dean Lewis is already returning to music, just a few months after misconduct allegations came out against the Australian singer-songwriter.
The allegations, which emerged on social media towards the end of last year, led Lewis to issue a public statement and withdraw from both the ARIA and TikTok Awards.
That was followed by an announcement earlier this month, revealed by Rolling Stone AU/NZ, that he was parting ways with Universal Music Group after a decade-long partnership.
A spokesperson for Lewis said that the musician was excited to work as an independent artist and intended to release new music this year, but few fans likely anticipated his first independent release to arrive so soon.
Lewis took to social media today (January 22nd) to reveal that he’ll share the new track, “I Am Getting Well,” at 12am tonight.
“I went into a rehab facility in November. It was one of the most deeply moving experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” Lewis wrote. “I had no phone, I had to slow down and learn about myself, to reflect on my life and my mistakes, I had to connect and talk to people (I met some of the nicest people), actually talking to people instead of isolating myself like I’d been doing for 8 years straight.
“Where the pressure I placed on myself was so extreme, I was so focused on everything external from TikTok views, to stream numbers, to distracting myself to numb myself from this anxious emptiness I have felt inside, that I just couldn’t escape from. I just haven’t been able to feel good about myself from within.”
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Read the rest of his statement here.
In October, Rolling Stone AU/NZ reported on Lewis’ public apology after leaked private messages and videos fuelled claims he’d behaved inappropriately with fans online.
“I understand why people are angry and disappointed after learning embarrassing details of intimate, private conversations and relationships I’ve had with consenting adults over the past decade, but I want to emphasise that none of this is illegal… The individuals leading the campaign against me have repeatedly acknowledged this, and I’m hurt by any suggestion that I’ve done things that have crossed into illegality. At the same time, I realise I’ve made an incredible mess, people are genuinely hurt, and I need to make changes,” Lewis said in a statement at the time.
Lewis recently kicked off US shows as part of his world tour, which were rescheduled after he suffered a vocal haemorrhage last year.
