Acclaimed singer-songwriter Tenille Townes returns with “Enabling,” a quietly devastating new song that examines the emotional cost of loving someone at the expense of yourself. Written, produced, and performed entirely by Townes, the track continues her commitment to emotional clarity, restraint, and deeply personal storytelling.
“This song is me confronting a lifelong habit of putting others’ needs above my own,” Townes says. “Writing it helped me realize that love isn’t self-sacrifice… sometimes the most loving thing you can do is stand your ground and choose yourself.” The song emerged from an attempted apology that stirred old instincts to smooth things over and endure rather than protect.
With striking focus, “Enabling” turns inward, recognizing how people-pleasing and emotional rescue can quietly become self-abandonment. Rather than assigning blame, the song sits in awareness and resolve, capturing the moment empathy meets self-preservation. The result feels measured, steady, and unflinchingly honest.
Musically, the track is intentionally spare. Acoustic guitar and mandolin, both performed by Townes, sit within an unadorned arrangement that leaves room for breath and stillness. The performance earns an enthusiastic response for its intimacy, allowing unresolved tension and quiet strength to coexist without forced resolution.
That emotional honesty has long defined Townes’ work. A Canada-born, Nashville-based artist, she has earned multiple Juno, Academy of Country Music, and Canadian Country Music Association Awards while touring alongside Stevie Nicks, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Zac Brown Band, George Strait, and Dierks Bentley. With “Enabling,” Townes steps into a more folk-leaning, singer-songwriter space, centering lyric, melody, and emotional truth above all else.