The power of the internet never ceases to amaze us. Today’s example: Belgian rapper-singer duo blackwave. who completed their first EP in 2016 without ever having met each other. Six years later, now touring and performing together, blackwave. is still going strong. Their newest single “good day” shows that their creative synergy has only grown.
There’s a strong juxtaposition between the lyrics and instrumentation on this track. The backing music is undeniably upbeat and cheerful, with the indie piano, guitar strums, and accent horns in the background. A swell of soulful gospel voices in the bridge rounds out the effect. A closer look at the lyrics tells a different story though, with lines like: “Tears to be shed, but I don’t feel nothing/ You just caught me on a good day/ And I’m just feeling like a bootleg version of myself.”
Turns out, this was completely intentional and symbolic. Here’s what blackwave. had to say about it:
The instrumentation of the track is purposely uplifting and tuneful, as we wanted…to translate the feeling of trying to lift yourself up while being so downhearted…It kind of feels like a triumph being able to release this track and talk about these things. We feel like it’s important to break the taboos surrounding them and to be able to speak about it honestly and openly.
We can expect big things from this duo. In the next few months, blackwave. have another single in the works as well as a festival appearance alongside the likes of The Gorillaz and Stromae. Make sure to check out “good day” using the link below. Enjoy!