DBMK offers a sense of togetherness in catchy new single Tough.
Photo: Luke Rogers
The Nashville-based alt-pop project has accumulated a tight-knit following dubbed the Kult by touring the country with numerous sold-out shows. They persevered through the hardships of 2020 and released Jump in the Dark, a six-track EP resonating with new and longtime fans alike.
With Tough, they continue to push the boundaries between genres and, in doing so, reaches a broad audience. Dissecting feeling stuck and overlooked by a world slipping away from your grasp also touches on how the capitalist default of our society affects our well-being in quite a complex way.
They introduce an overworked person declining their health for the benefit of operating well in their job. They downright express it sucks the life out of me; how weak can I be, which is a heartbreaking exploration of how easy it is to become an outcast, someone considered incapable of functioning and the shame that comes with not feeling good enough.
I'm a big fan of the conflict between the dark, sombre lyrics compared to the happy go lucky melodic arrangement and the dissonance it creates, complimenting the very core of the song. Lines like I know I'm worth a million more than I'll ever know how to spend and holding me tight in a headlock further cement the desperation over a stagnant situation, providing a feeling of unity through a collective frustration that I think a lot of people can relate to.
"Tough is a song about feeling utterly stuck in the place you're at in life and being constantly overlooked by a world that seems to be moving faster and faster around you," the duo says in a statement. "This place that you're stuck in could be school, a job, a relationship, or a state of mine. Do you have the confidence to get up and change your circumstances?"
Written by Eirunn Oppheim
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