On September 1st, the first day of school, Het Zesde Metaal releases its new single ‘Traagskes groeien’. A disarming and relatable song about children who seem to grow up faster than their parents can keep track of. With his familiar blend of tenderness, melancholy, and a smile, Wannes Cappelle paints how little dreams, backyard forts, and ponds full of ducks gradually make way for bigger ambitions and plans for the future.
The song is a gentle ode to slowing down, to the idea that no one needs to rush into growing up. “Traagskes groeien, laagske per laagske groeien,” Cappelle sings, as if reassuring both his own children and all of us at once. And, true to Het Zesde Metaal’s style, there’s also a wink: the loving observation that “je ouders zijn op een lastige leeftijd” puts everything back into perspective in that typical West Flemish way. A song as comforting as it is recognizable, perfectly timed for the start of a new school year.
