As we approach the end of the year, as a Dean collaborating with Roberto through our community health–focused intergenerational narrative project, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing him step into his own voice—and I ask: what does it feel “in this moment” to watch someone step into their own voice? Watching that growth unfold—from mentorship to a shared love of music—feels like witnessing a song write itself.
Hearing Roberto Terrell Jr., aka Rel Mercer, step into his debut track is like a soft chord of pride resonating within. “How You Feel That Way” (2025) mirrors the conversations we’ve shared as two Black men, in which I’ve asked, “How you feel, hey, how it is?… what you think?” The honesty in this track captures that dialogue, reflecting the tension between heart and mind, the struggle to voice what’s inside, and the courage it takes to put it all out there.
From its very first line — “Why that you say, you feel, can’t hear you, you gotta speak up” — the song pulls you in with a voice caught between conversation and reflection, speaking both to someone he trusts and to himself. It’s heart vs. mind, soul vs. beat — a tension between what he feels and how the rhythm of life carries him, grounding the song in both introspection and groove.
The song flows with the voice of a young Black man wrestling with life’s weight, questioning why it has to feel so hard. It’s that quiet tension, that searching: trying to make sense of what his heart feels and what his mind is telling him. There’s a raw honesty here, a moment of saying “It shouldn’t be this hard to… I don’t know” and yet still moving through it anyway.
Lines like “We keep asking the same questions… why… I don’t know” echo and repeat like a refrain in everyday life — the constant circularity of trying both to understand and to be understood is the process of finding clarity. The song emphasizes this loop in its repeated, almost urgent chorus: “What you feel, what you think, how you feel,” pressing the questions forward, demanding answers, while sometimes offering none. That push and pull — between urgency and uncertainty — is the heartbeat of the track.
Musically, the track blends warm, nostalgic soul textures with a modern minimal edge — a bridge between classic and contemporary that can resonate across generations. It’s a space where his voice glides, pauses, and the beats breathe—moving you even as it lingers in your mind, a melody that mirrors the ebb and flow of reflection, doubt, and hope.
“How You Feel That Way” invites us to move with him, to linger in the questions, to feel the weight of not knowing — to recognize that sometimes the heart and mind remain unresolved. I recommend this track not just as a debut, but as a lesson in honesty, of heart and mind. “How You Feel That Way” by Rel Mercer is now streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major platforms — a place to sit with the questions, the repeated refrains, and the interplay between soul and beat — the quiet beauty of not having all the answers.
About the Collaboration
Together, they form Rhythms, Verses & Reflections, an intergenerational collaboration using verse, narrative, and memory to illuminate life, culture, and community care. Their work centers storytelling as a bridge across generations, preserving and amplifying voices often left unheard.
Brian Floyd is an Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Georgetown University School of Health and a faculty member at the Capital Applied Learning Labs, where he teaches Health Innovation for the Common Good, a course centered on experiential learning and community engagement. He is also a Co-Principal Investigator for the Georgetown University Global Cities’ 2025 Urban Innovation Project, titled Paving the Way for Urban Innovation and Health Equity: Documenting Oral Histories with DC Community Leaders. Floyd has also served as a GU Mentor to Roberto Terrell Jr.
