Three years after "Be Alright" blew up worldwide, Dean Lewis has another hit on his hands with "How Do I Say Goodbye," which he wrote after he learned his dad had cancer. Dean was warned against releasing the song, and he was concerned, too — but it worked out fine, especially since his dad's now in remission.
"I knew it was the best song I'd written. But everyone was telling me, 'Are you sure you want to put out a death song' — that's what they were calling it — 'just after COVID?' I was like, 'Yeah, but like, it's the best song I've ever done.'"
Dean admits he was worried that once people heard the song, they wouldn't listen to it again "because it would be overwhelming." But he notes, "Luckily, for most people, they listen again. So it's been really cool."
What's even cooler is that he didn't have to say goodbye: His dad's now in remission and is doing great, though some fans may not know that.
"It's funny. We did the YouTube video [for the song], and at the end of video, we say, 'My dad's in remission right now.' But the YouTube ads block the text," Dean laughs.
"So everyone on YouTube, they wait to the end and ... then it literally is blocked at the end. They can't even read what it says, which is so bad."
"But, yeah, he got a stem cell transplant. He's in remission ... I just toured Europe, and he came onstage at every show and he's playing [the] song with me," Dean says.
"He's loving the attention. He's living his dream because he's always played and wanted to get onstage. And so it's just been, it's been amazing for all of us."