Nick Carter has opened up about the death of his late brother Aaron Carter with a new tribute song, “Hurts to Love You.”
The contemplative ballad finds Nick reflecting upon his younger brother’s struggles with addiction and mental health. “Way too many nightmares to remember/ But that was real life back then,” he sings. “Always hoped tomorrow would be better than the days before/ I hoped you’d find your road to follow/ To a place you were happy in this world.”
In an Instagram post teasing “Hurts to Love You,” Nick shared the unconditional love he had for Aaron, writing, “We all have someone in our lives that no matter what they do and how bad it hurts, you still love them. So I worked it out the best way I know how.”
Nick shared similar thoughts in an Instagram tribute following Aaron’s sudden death at the age of 34 in early November. “Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” he wrote. “I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”
In 2019, Aaron revealed he had been diagnosed with personality disorder, schizophrenia, manic depression, and acute anxiety. A week later, Nick filed a restraining order against Aaron and accused his brother of threatening to physically harm his family.