Dwayna Litz Returns With Emotional Clarity and Genre-Bending Brilliance in “My Mind’s On You”
In a music landscape that often rewards conformity, Dwayna Litz is an artist who refuses to color within the lines. Her new single “My Mind’s On You” is a testament to her sweeping musical imagination. It gathers strands of pop, country, jazz, rock and bluegrass, braids them effortlessly, and then ties them with a ribbon of heartfelt honesty. The result is a track that feels both comfortingly classic and refreshingly unbound by genre, a continuation of the artistic courage that has defined Litz’s multifaceted career.
Describing the song as “Dolly Parton meets Chicago” is no exaggeration. There is a nostalgic warmth in the storytelling reminiscent of Dolly’s most vulnerable ballads, blended with horn textures and rhythmic touches that echo the emotional flair of Chicago’s golden years. Recorded with Steve Brewster, drummer for Peter Cetera, the single proudly carries Litz’s signature fusion: tender country sensibilities, soft rock elegance and the soulful glow of jazz-pop.
“My Mind’s On You” was written during a 4 A.M. burst of inspiration last Fourth of July, a detail that immediately explains the song’s introspective stillness. The lyrics begin in the early morning quiet with the rain tapping on the roof, a natural metronome for reflection. In these opening moments, Litz reveals the emotional spine of the song: the haunting persistence of a love you thought you had released.
She doesn’t rely on melodrama. Instead, she leans into vulnerable confession. The narrator’s sleeplessness becomes a symbol of unresolved longing, while the simple contrast between darkness outside and clarity inside creates a powerful emotional frame. Litz sings from the intimate space where memory and reality overlap, a place listeners know all too well.
The storytelling in “My Mind’s On You” is particularly striking for its emotional nuance. The song unfolds through the narrator’s attempt to move on with someone new, only to discover that the past still holds her heart. Rather than demonizing the “last guy,” Litz paints him with empathy. He “did the best he could,” yet his presence unintentionally resurrects a former love, magnifying its depth by comparison.
Litz explores the theme of involuntary affection. You don’t pick love; love picks you. In the lyrics, this truth rises gently through moments of regret, clarity and internal conflict. When she admits sorrow that “any other man had ever touched” her because they were never worthy while she still carried the memory of someone else, it demonstrates the raw authenticity that makes this track feel so personal.
The chorus anchors the emotional core: recognizing that despite the time, the effort and the intention to move on, the heart snaps back to the person who once made life feel as if it were beginning again. The song isn’t about heartbreak; it is about the inconvenient honesty of love that lingers.
Musically, “My Mind’s On You” is lush without being crowded. Its mid-tempo pulse invites listeners into a reflective headspace, the kind where emotional revelations feel both gentle and profound. Litz’s choice to blend fiddles with horns pays off in a way that feels both intuitive and unexpected. The fiddle speaks to her country and bluegrass roots, while the brass unfurls the grand, almost cinematic qualities of pop rock.
Her influences are present like faint brushstrokes. Listeners may hear the soulful inflections of Michael McDonald, the storytelling insight of Billy Joel, the emotional resonance of Vince Gill and the soft percussion-driven introspection of Phil Collins or Ronnie Milsap. Yet, even with such varied inspiration, Litz’s sound remains unmistakably her own.
With music published by Universal Music, Spirit Music and her ASCAP company Litz Music, Dwayna Litz has built an artistic legacy grounded in versatility. From being the last artist to record with Dae Bennett at Tony Bennett’s Englewood studio on her orchestral album “Counting Your Blessings”, to earning praise from Jazz Lives critic Michael Steinman who declared, “Dwayna Litz can sing,” she has continually proven her creative range.
Her songwriting credentials are equally impressive. Her first commercial cut was on Patti LaBelle’s Grammy-nominated album “Flame” with “Let Me Be There for You.” Her jazz rendition of “Satisfy My Soul” earned her exposure on Music Dish TV. More recently, her independent single “Stayin’ Gone” earned worldwide play and a profile in Spin Magazine.
Yet, despite her accomplishments, Litz approaches her craft with humility and passion. She writes her songs alone, recording on Music Row at Soundstage or Ronnie’s Place, and co-produces with acclaimed musician Tim Crouch. The roster of musicians on her projects reads like a who’s who of Nashville excellence, from Duncan Mullins to Charlie McCoy, Johnathan Presnell and more. Her recordings showcase everything from banjos to saxophones, mirroring her refusal to be confined to a single genre.
The release of “My Mind’s On You” marks just one milestone in what promises to be a prolific near future. By the end of 2025, Litz will have released eighteen compilations across an astonishing spectrum of styles including jazz, pop, rock, country, bluegrass, musical theater and Christian. In addition to new original songs, she is completing a classical 3-song project and a Christmas special scheduled for 2026.
A documentary produced by Nathan Meckel is also underway, designed to inspire artists to remain true to themselves and to create for the love of creation rather than recognition. This ethos mirrors Litz’s own philosophy and explains the sincerity that radiates through “My Mind’s On You.”
What ultimately makes “My Mind’s On You” so moving is its candor. It is a mirror held up to anyone who has ever believed they were finished with a chapter of their life only to discover it is still writing itself. Litz captures that feeling with emotional intelligence and melodic grace.
In the quiet of an early morning storm, with memory knocking gently at the door, Dwayna Litz offers listeners an invitation: to remember, to feel and perhaps to forgive themselves for the love that never quite let go. “My Mind’s On You” is a confession set to music, wrapped in the warmth of soulful instrumentation and delivered with the clarity of an artist who knows exactly who she is.
