British musician Tom Rosenthal shared a poignant message on TikTok after hearing about a deceased fan who had been listening to Rosenthal's music moments before he died in an accident.
The clip's background showed a screenshot of an obituary for a man named Kevin, who was in a fatal motorcycle accident.
He was 22.
Rosenthal's TikTok video was captioned with:
"RIP sweet Kevin."
The 35-year-old singer maintained his emotional composure and explained in the clip:
"After he died, his father's friend got in touch with me to tell me that they had found his phone after he died and the last song he had listened to was a song of mine."
The instrumental version of his song "Lights Are On" played in the background.
The artist took the tragic moment to acknowledge and appreciate the impact art has on people.
"Sometimes when we write our songs and we write our books, and whatever, we think of them as quite throwaway and maybe they seem quite silly to some people, whatever," said Rosenthal.
"But what you make could be the last thing someone listens to or sees in their life."
He ended the clip on an encouraging note for other artists.
"So write your songs, write your poems, do your things."
People were moved by his message and commented on the brevity of life.
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
@tomrosenthalmusic/TikTok
The singer/songwriter has six albums that were released on his own label, Tinpot Records.
His songs have been described as "short, expertly crafted pop songs"–which can be heard on television soundtracks, including the Netflix documentary, The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team 2019.
The last song Kevin heard while he was alive, "Lights Are On," has over 160 million streams on Spotify.
The music video for the song can be seen here.
Tom Rosenthal - Lights Are On (Official Video)youtu.be
The YouTube comments indicated how much the song resonated with fans, including one who wrote:
"When I listen to this song. I feel like I’m being hugged. And nothing else is happening. Just me and the music. That’s it."
Another said:
"I listen to this song whenever I just need to let all my emotions out when I'm alone, I don't know what I'd do without this song."
Rest in peace, Kevin.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads