Suprise: New Music!

Steven Binko Drops Surprise Track "Best Friend" with Dance Remix

It’s been two weeks since Steven Binko quietly released his latest song, "Best Friend," on February 18, 2024, surprising fans with no formal announcement. Alongside the main track, he also dropped a dance remix, adding a fun twist to this unexpected release.

Steven, known for his music often stemming from heartbreak and life’s struggles, took a different direction with "Best Friend." This song was inspired by a particularly happy chapter in his life: his marriage to Marcin, his second husband and best friend of 16 years. During the drive home from their wedding, Marcin reminisced about the early days of their friendship, when he had a crush on Steven and admired him from afar. This sparked the question: why had Steven been holding back from making new music? Marcin’s encouragement ignited the creative process for "Best Friend."

“In the past, my music had been fueled largely in part by heartbreak and adversity, but we'd just gotten married, so my mood was quite different – I wasn't needing an outlet, which is why I usually write. But I'd also never written a love song, so I welcomed the challenge,” Steven shares.

Steven set out to capture the joyous essence of the wedding and their journey in the song. He wanted something stripped down with a hint of Latin influence, recording initial vocals in a Dallas studio. However, after years away from the music scene, nerves and a changing dynamics in their relationship made the process challenging. “Shortly after, we decided to separate, but it was important to me to finish the song because I still consider him my best friend,” he says.

Despite these changes, Steven persisted in finishing the track, even adding a new burst of energy to it through a dance remix. "I wanted to bring new energy to the song because of how our situation evolved. That’s how we got to the dance remix, and it’s ended up becoming one of my favorite beats from my discography,” Steven explains.

This remix allowed fans to experience the song through a fresh lens, with many getting involved in their own way. One fan from the Philippines even suggested an online dance contest for the track, which Steven embraced. The entries brought new life and joy to the song, and for Steven, it’s been rewarding to explore his music through the lens of others' creativity.

A fun and deeply personal element of "Best Friend" is the spoken word part – it features an audio clip from their actual wedding of Steven saying his wedding vows, adding a sentimental layer to the track.

With this release, Steven Binko offers listeners a multifaceted experience: both the stripped-down emotions of a love song and the vibrant energy of a dance track. There is also an acoustic version that he'd planned to record, but instead released that instrumental as a karaoke version for fans. It showcases his versatility as an artist and his willingness to share all dimensions of his life – the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

If you haven't already, check out the lyric video for "Best Friend" below and stream the track on Spotify:

Listen to "Best Friend" on Spotify:

Listen to the "Best Friend (Dance Remix)" on Spotify:

FEATURE: Spectrum 1 (09/05/2021)

'Not everyone lives to tell their story': Wisconsin man shares journey after suicide attempt

BY GRISELDA PEREZ

In 2020, 861 people died by suicide in Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services considers it a public health issue. Last September, Steven Binko was close to being added to that number after being rushed to the hospital in a suicide attempt. A faint voice on body camera footage from a paramedic who responded to the 9-1-1 call said: “120,000 milligrams of Tylenol in total.” Binko had taken several pills of pain medication and it wasn’t his first attempt. The struggles of mental health are a journey he works through daily. “The truth is that when you’re in that space, mind you, everyone is different but for me, I don’t know that anything that somebody says can really change it,” said Binko, recalling that night. “(It’s important) just to let someone know that what they feel is valid, just to feel seen, to know that your experience matters.” National Suicide Prevention Week runs from Sept. 5 - Sept. 11. But the whole month is used to focus on resources and advocacy for preventing suicide. Suicide is the 10th overall leading cause of death in the nation. There’s been a 35% increase since 1999, affecting men at a higher rate, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). Now, Binko’s goal is to make conversations about mental health more common and accessible. “I don’t have any formal education in mental health but I do have my experience,” he said. “I feel like the more that we listen to each other and share these experiences, the more it kind of normalizes things like mental health and understanding that mental health is a very normal thing. It affects everybody.” In the last year, Binko has directed a lot of work towards his mental health. Binko has committed to therapy and has opened up to new forms of help like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, where the development of personal coping strategies is the target of problem-solving. As a former music and theatre entertainer, he now shares his personal journey in public presentations. It helps him process and he hopes to be a small light to anyone battling in darkness. “Their pain does not need to fit the narrative of what suffering looks like for you,” explains Binko. “If you do say something (to someone who is suicidal), come from a place of empathy, not judgment because there’s no cost for kindness, but there are consequences to judgment.” Binko said he’s in a better place right now, but it's taken all his 33 years of life to get to this point. “There’s a lot of vulnerability putting (this) out there,” he said. “I just feel a responsibility to share it because not everyone lives to tell their story.” Original Source HERE

Feature: WebMD (07/19/2021)

What People with Chronic Insomnia Wish You Knew

By Nicole Blades

Steven Binko

Just about everyone has trouble sleeping from time to time. Think about the times in your life when, no matter what you tried -- warm milk, mellow music, counting sheep --you couldn't get to sleep.

Now, imagine this happening at least three times a week for 3 months or more. That's chronic insomnia. For the 10% to 30% of adults who live with this condition, it affects many areas of life. Long-lasting sleep deprivation may lead to health issues ranging from forgetfulness to depression to a higher risk of heart disease.

“The hard thing is you're basically running on empty all the time,” says Steven Binko, 33, a Milwaukee-based entertainer who was diagnosed with chronic insomnia 15 years ago. “People attribute insomnia with being on a caffeine buzz. It's not like that. It's really a restlessness.”

People who live with chronic insomnia say others may not understand how their condition differs from short-term sleeplessness. They say they often get well-meaning but short-sighted suggestions on how to “solve” their sleep problems.

“It’s why I don't talk about it too much, because I get all sorts of advice every time I do," says LaShawn Wiltz, 45, a content creator who lives in Decatur, GA. "I'm 45. I think I've heard everything.”

Wiltz has been living with chronic sleep maintenance insomnia since high school (that means she has trouble staying asleep). Yet people still regularly suggest things like meditation or a relaxing bedtime routine.

“I'm the queen of routines! I've had a nighttime routine forever,” she says.

LaShawn Wiltz

Medication suggestions aren't helpful, either, she says. Chances are, a person with long-term insomnia has already tried whatever you're recommending, whether it's a sleeping pill or herbal remedy.

Over the years, Wiltz has tried sleeping pills as well as over-the-counter allergy medicines and sleep aids. "But they always made me feel hungover, so I don’t do it anymore,” she says.

Binko, whose bouts with insomnia and chronic fatigue syndrome can leave him without rest for days, has been down the same road.

“I've tried everything from Ambien to Tramadol, even just Benadryl and things over the counter, but none of it really creates the sedating effect that I need to go to sleep,” he says.

Even more upsetting is when people dismiss your insomnia as being “all in your head,” says Kirsten Alana, 40, a freelance photographer from Los Angeles.

“Insomnia is a real medical issue, just like migraines or dry skin, eczema, etc. It deserves the respect that other conditions have,” says Alana, whose occasional sleep issues turned into full-blown insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Insomnia is a physical manifestation of a problem that your body is having."

Kirsten Alana

Research has shown time and again how essential sleep is to your health. “It’s as necessary as food and air,” Binko says.

That's why it's important to get a medical diagnosis and treatment when you have insomnia, he says. Self-medicating with over-the-counter sleep aids is not a good solution for the long run. You can get to the point where you can't sleep without them.

“Understanding the root cause is a key component in addressing restlessness and determining which lifestyle changes are necessary,” he says.

If you know someone with chronic insomnia, don't assume you know what they're going through. Instead, ask questions and educate yourself about the condition. And if you have the condition, don't let myths and misconceptions about insomnia stop you from seeking help.

"Everybody is different, so you have to listen to what your body is telling you, and not listen to someone who shames you for talking about it,” Alana says.

WebMD Feature Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on July 19, 2021 Original article: HERE