Everyone has their own way of dealing with the often messy, sometimes confusing, dramatic rollercoaster of life’s emotions and relationships. Some of us journal, some of us vent; Haiden Henderson makes infectiously catchy songs.

Still a newcomer to the industry, Henderson hit the ground running: his first EP Good Grief! released in 2022, and he converted audiences around the world to fans while touring with fellow rising pop acts Emei, MICO, and Landon Barker. After hearing crowds in Europe passionately singing back to him during his opening sets, Henderson knew it was time to journey on a world tour of his own, happening this August and September.

There can’t be a tour without songs powerful enough to fill the room, and Henderson delivered that on tension. The danceable rhythms and sensual vocals make for a series of quintessential pop songs. The R&B that Henderson grew up with has clearly left a lasting influence, but he is a pop star through and through. Henderson jokes that his image is edgier than his music, but his alternative sense of style and his love for Britney Spears and Justin Bieber aren’t opposed; they combine into his distinctive identity as an artist.

The EP’s lyrics have an unsurprisingly, tense cadence, glimpses of a love affair that feel like eavesdropping; like text conversations in the middle of the night and words whispered under the loud music of a party. Henderson describes his confessional lyrical style as “documentarian,” recounting and reflecting on real experiences with real people in his life. This didn’t always fare well with those around him: the songwriting process came with many cries of “you can’t say that” and “you shouldn’t write this,” but Henderson stuck to his convictions, needing the catharsis of telling his side of the story through music.

Basing songs on real experiences makes writing “less interrogative of a process,” said Henderson, who prefers to let ideas flow out instead of racking his brain for them. His process is never the same from song to song; some ideas can even begin with a title, as is the case with tension, while other lyrics form sporadically as he goes about his day. What remains consistent, though, is self-reflection. Music is not just music to Haiden Henderson; it’s an outlet through which he can look back on experiences in 20/20 hindsight, recognizing where things went right and where they went wrong.

He names “good TV” as one of the most personal songs on the album, comparing a past relationship to the movie “The Truman Show.” “Her and I were living in our own false world,” Henderson said, likening this relationship to Truman’s fabricated life, “and creating this fake reality for ourselves where there weren’t repercussions for the feelings that we had.” Despite the sexy, steamy vibe of his music, Henderson acknowledges the deep sense of insecurity behind many of his lyrics. There is a precariousness to the intimacy he describes, a desire for deeper connections. His life has changed a lot since launching his music career, but he’s discovering new forms of connection: especially with fans. Henderson found that interacting with fans brought a whole new sense of purpose to the music: from making inside jokes with fans on social media to bantering with the audience during live shows, he lets fans in on his real, authentic self and feels more present and confident on stage than ever.

See Haiden Henderson on tour this summer, stream tension now, and keep up with him on social media platforms: Instagram | TikTok | Youtube | Spotify