Dr. Don has added two new songs to his catalog, “I’m OK Now” and “Hooked On,” expanding on the mix of honesty and relatability that has drawn more than 135,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel. Both tracks were created with longtime collaborators Matthew Neil Johnsen and Scott Anthony Cavuoto, who have helped shape the sound and feel of his recent work.
While different in tone, the two songs reflect the same artistic circle. Dr. Don wrote the lyrics, Johnsen co-composed the music and performed alongside him, and Cavuoto guided the vocal style and completed the final mix. Together, they present a pair of tracks that showcase resilience on one side and everyday pleasures on the other.
“I’m OK Now” and the Sound of Resilience
The first track, “I’m OK Now,” is a candid reflection on coping and perseverance. It begins with the line “I’m ok now / Felt put down / Turned it around / Not sure how.” The words feel both like reassurance and self-reminder, consistent with Dr. Don’s approach of turning personal moments into shared experiences.
The chorus captures the tension between wanting clarity and seeking relief: “So hard to think / Poured a drink / Now I can’t find / A clear mind.” The lyrics do not hide the cycle of numbing through alcohol. Instead, they present it directly, acknowledging how quickly one attempt at comfort can lead to another.
What sets the track apart is how it balances gravity with humor. The bridge imagines asking artificial intelligence for drink orders — “Asked A.I. for a glass of wine / A mai tai / A martini dry” — only to end in a comical mishap. That tongue-in-cheek moment keeps the song from being weighed down, a hallmark of Dr. Don’s style.
The closing verse shifts to relief: “My sense of taste / Is gone no lie / My anxiety / Is gone goodbye.” Whether temporary or lasting, the change carries forward the refrain of “I’m ok now.” The song’s strength lies in how it captures imperfection honestly rather than pretending the struggle is fully resolved.
“Hooked On” and the Joy of Everyday Fixations
If “I’m OK Now” speaks to survival, “Hooked On” highlights the attachments that make daily life enjoyable. From the opening lines, “Hooked on what pleases me / Not sure what happens to be,” the song celebrates the unpredictability of what draws us in.
The chorus, repeated across verses, lists the small things that keep time moving: “My favorite app / An intense book / My beautiful friend / Has got me hooked.” The repetition underscores how ordinary fixations—apps, books, friendships—become the framework of lived experience.
The verses move through vacations, shared fortunes, and the comfort of friends. The bridge bursts with energy: “Extreme speed / Party hard / Ride the waves / Until dawn.” After that surge, the lyrics return to lighter details like memes, tattoos, and shoes. That structure mirrors real life, alternating between heightened moments and simple routines.
Even the acknowledgment of excess — “Sometimes we’re overboard / Addicted to something wrong” — is tempered with the recognition that tomorrow brings a chance to reset. It is an open, relatable approach that invites listeners to see themselves in the music.
Two Tracks, One Artistic Vision
Presented together, “I’m OK Now” and “Hooked On” illustrate the two sides of Dr. Don’s songwriting. One is a direct look at the challenges of coping, the other a celebration of the pleasures that make life lighter. Both are tied together by the same team and the same willingness to bring personal moments into his music.
That combination of vulnerability and playfulness has been central to his appeal. Earlier songs like “Escape Reality” revealed how he used music to process grief following the loss of his niece. These new tracks continue that openness, but with a sharper focus on balance. Where one acknowledges anxiety, the other insists on joy.
Dr. Don’s Growing Reach
With an audience of more than 135,000 subscribers on YouTube, Dr. Don has built a dedicated community around his music. His collaborations with Johnsen and Cavuoto give his songs professional polish, but it is his plainspoken approach to lyrics that makes them resonate.
By sharing both the struggles and the lighthearted distractions of life, he creates songs that feel accessible and true. “I’m OK Now” and “Hooked On” fit seamlessly into this trajectory, offering listeners two complementary perspectives on the same journey.
For Dr. Don, these releases are not just about adding new songs to his catalog. They are about showing that music can hold contradiction: hardship and humor, anxiety and relief, distraction and connection. That honesty keeps listeners returning, and it is why his audience continues to grow.
