By Sarah Christenson
Pop artist and actor Joshua Bassett released a book titled “Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life,” on May 5th, and a new nine track album, “Easier,” on August 14th. Bassett is known for his time on Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series where he played Richard Bowen.
His album starts with track “Blue.” Personally, this song is my favorite on the album with its theme of falling for someone “out of the blue.” The instrumentals and harmonies absolutely paint a picture of what it feels like to be in love.
In the third track, “Hold Me,” Bassett sings about troubles in a relationship: “Could you hold me, hold me one more time? / Calling it love, we’re just using our skin. / You don’t even like me, why do you pretend?” The lyrics perfectly describe how it feels to have someone slip away and what it feels like when someone just wants to be held and to feel good with that person one last time before it all ends.
The seventh track, “Easier,” is probably my second favorite song titled. I can feel the pain in the lyrics of watching someone being loved better than you could: “I see the way he makes you happy, and it is killing me / His hands are steady, bet he holds you how you are meant to be.”
Bassetts 8th track is extremely honest. In “Ruined,” Bassett sings, “Every girl I like, I find a piece of you / I say I’m fine, but I can’t hide the truth/ And this memory’s code red and blue (ooh) / Couldn’t forget them if I wanted to / Flashin’ pictures as I’m holdin’ someone new.” He admits he’s still haunted by a love from the past, seeing her in everyone he gives a chance.
I would rate this album 3 out of 5. It’s a beautiful album, but I don’t think this is his best album. I look forward to hearing more music from him in the future.
In Bassett’s book, Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life, he opens up about his life, discussing drug addiction, PTSD, suicide, troubles with family, finding faith, trying to make it in Hollywood, and more. Rookie starts with Bassett’s near-death experience when his heart failed in January 2021 shortly after his 20th birthday. The book is raw, honest, and deep: “all [I] hope is that my struggles lead to your salvation. That my mistakes will become your lessons and my mess begets your masterpiece.”
I felt seen and not alone while reading Rookie. I teared up once I finished the final page. I rate this book 4 out of 5. It’s an easy read and is for the “rookies – the unorthodox, the outsiders, the seekers, the black sheep, the dreamers, adventurers, poets, pioneers, addicts, lovers, losers, believers, and skeptics.”
