Carla Strauss Sings About Self-Acceptance – People sometimes pretend to be something they are not, or strive to be perfect. They don’t want to disappoint others. In her latest single, ‘Pulling Teeth’, singer-songwriter Carla Strauss explores this universal experience from a personal perspective.
More about ‘Pulling Teeth’
“I wrote the song during a time when I had to make peace with myself and my emotions,” she explains. “Although it is very personal, most people have felt tired of acting according to others’ expectations. I think it’s only human to not want to let people down.”
This issue has always been a challenge for the young musician. “For a large part of my life, and even now, I feel like I must always be perfect to meet others’ perceptions and expectations. There is always that fear of letting someone down. However, I realized that if I constantly try to be what others expect, I can’t truly be myself. I had to determine if the person others see and the person I want to be, are the same. ‘Pulling Teeth’, is my way of saying I want to do what I want without worrying about disappointing someone.”
The single, produced by Carla and Ludwig Bouwer of One Big Room, comes from her latest EP, Projections, and follows in the footsteps of her previous songs in terms of sincerity and emotion. “I wrote the song while big changes were happening in my life, and I wanted to be as honest and raw about it as possible. It’s like a diary entry that sums up an important part of my life.”
She believes that although ‘Pulling Teeth’, might not necessarily be a pop hit that people will listen to repeatedly, it does evoke strong emotions with which many listeners can identify.
“I believe many people will see themselves in what I wrote. I think that feeling of ‘I want to be more than what others see’ is more common than we realize. I hope my song helps listeners understand that they are not alone in what they feel.”
More about Carla
‘Pulling Teeth’, is Carla’s sixth single. This passionate young artist made her debut at 16 with the single Midnight Train. Since then, she has received considerable recognition for her music. One of her songs, ‘Break My Bones’, was even remixed by a French artist.
Carla was also part of the group One Voice, which released a successful album in 2019. In 2020, they collaborated on an anti-bullying song for the Child Protection Hotline, ‘I Will’, which Carla recorded and released with Kalinka Kilian in 2022.
The 23-year-old from Centurion considers her lyricism the core of her art, a fact reflected in her introspective, sincere, and moving approach to songwriting. As a musician, she continues to grow and develop, and with each new release, she invites listeners to join her on this journey.
‘Pulling Teeth’, is now available online
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