By Rachel Chiang | Assistant News Editor
Normally, copyright strikes are a nuisance for YouTubers and streamers who want to include music in their videos and content. For d4vd, it became a window of opportunity. At the encouragement of his mother, to avoid getting flagged for using music without artists’ permission, d4vd simply began to make his own.
Since 2021, he has blown up, gaining over 31 million monthly listeners on Spotify. For those who may be unfamiliar with his music, his 2022 song “Romantic Homicide” trended on TikTok, which contributed to his exponential growth in fans in just a couple of years.
His latest album release, “WITHERED,” features a mix of new songs and released singles. Mostly full of slower tunes, the album encapsulates the energy original fans have grown to love and expect from d4vd.
“Atomic Land”
Imagine Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” met d4vd. “Atomic Land” features similar instrumentals and beats, with both songs’ lyrics full of classic yearning. Starting his album strong, “Atomic Land” is a song you play while you scribble hearts and arrows with your crush’s initials into your personal, top-secret diary.
“Sky”
Chicken Little panicked over the sky falling, and d4vd does too.
My favorite new song from his album, “Sky,” has a sorrowful tone in that he “never meant to, but [had] to let you down.” The lyrics describe desperately holding onto someone, wishing they could at least be friends, because he will ultimately let the other person down.
“You Left Me First”
Without d4vd’s iconic voice, you might mistake “You Left Me First” for a Cigarettes After Sex song. It features similar sounds with slow instrumentals and electric guitars that Cigarettes After Sex is best known for. “You Left Me First” is one of the slower songs on the album; it’s perfect for a midnight lo-fi study sesh, a meltdown or both.
“Say It Back”
Very similar to “You Left Me First,” “Say It Back” has a slightly stronger beat, but doesn’t offer anything particularly special. Personally, it’s not as good as “You Left Me First,” but as a d4vd song, it checks all the boxes.
“Friend Again”
“Friend Again” bounces back from the slowness of “Say It Back” and has one of the more catchy choruses of the album so far. Despite its title, he’s struggling with coping with getting over a loved one and no longer wants to be their “friend again.”
“Somewhere In The Middle”
“Somewhere In The Middle” feels like a filler song. It has the same lamenting and yearning we see in every song so far, but none of the lyrics or beat really stand out. Unfortunately, the song is easily forgettable as it blends with much of the instrumentals we’ve heard this whole album. I don’t dislike the song, nor do I particularly like it. I guess you could say I’m somewhere in the middle.
“Crashing (with Kali Uchis)”
Released at the end of February earlier this year, it’s hard to fairly judge this song without recency bias compared to the rest of the album. But for a song that I have consistently listened to since its release, I have yet to get sick of it.
Kali Uchis’s part is ethereal and almost sultry. Her female voice plays a nice juxtaposition to d4vd’s iconic, raspy voice, giving a refreshing bridge to the song.
“Invisible String Theory (Interlude)”
As it is an interlude, there is not much singing. Rather, it’s a dialogue between a guy and a girl recalling how they first met and their connection as a result of the invisible string theory bringing them together like fate. While it doesn’t offer much melodically, it features some background synthesizer and, at the very least, makes you ponder the relationships you have in your life.
“Is This Really Love?”
Honestly, I am a little surprised by how much I actually enjoy this one. His falsetto scratches an itch somewhere deep in my brain that just makes my ears tingle and smile.
The final verse switches gears into a more peppy, catchy tone, so if you weren’t sold on the song until this point, this last part will change your mind.
“Where’d It Go Wrong?”
Originally released in December of last year, I have blasted this song while crying in my car more times than I can count. After going through the loss of a ten-year friendship with a friend from middle school, this song is a definite all-time favorite that helped me get through a rough time, wondering, “Where’d it go wrong with you?”
“Feel It”
Immediately after one of d4vd’s saddest songs ever, “Feel It” is a complete 180. Featured on Amazon Prime Video’s hit show “Invincible,” it’s easily one of d4vd’s catchiest, most upbeat songs that never ceases to get stuck in my head every time I hear it.
One of the few songs that actually celebrates his feelings rather than fight an endless turmoil, “Feel It” makes you want to get up and dance.
“What Are You Waiting For?”
Released as a teaser for the album a couple of weeks ago, “What Are You Waiting For?” is another upbeat, faster-paced song that has viral pop song potential.
The song is bolder as he waits for the other person to make the first move, and the impatient lyrics match the beat as it feels like a push to action. d4vd is not technically a rapper, but some of the fast-paced lyrics force you to lock in if singing along.
“One More Dance”
If Arcane season two didn’t already have the cinematic masterpiece of Ekko and Powder dancing in an alternate universe to “Ma Meilleure Ennemie,” I would recommend this song as a potential replacement. As the title suggests, it follows a slow dance beat. The romance, nostalgia and bittersweet joy make you want to dance in slow motion with a partner under flickering disco lights.
“Ghost”
With a song like “One More Dance” that gives an elated out-of-body experience preceding it, unfortunately, “Ghost” just couldn’t compete. Like “Say It Back and “Somewhere In The Middle,” it’s just easily forgettable, and nothing about the song really stands out from the rest of the album. The song really does feel like a “ghost,” because I often forget it’s there.
“Afterlife”
“Afterlife” starts slow, but the melody ramps up. The lyrics are raw and powerful. It’s the kind of breakup song you play when the main character leaves their partner and is walking home in the rain, seeing happy families and couples through frosted windows.
The song is one of the best performances of d4vd’s vocal talent, however. His vibrato and ability to sing falsetto just shine and are another contender for a serious tearjerker. The way the song closes really makes you feel like you have ended a chapter in your life, and now you must figure out how to move on, which is the perfect way to end his album.
