Gus Dapperton’s ‘Queen’ Channels Frustration into Addictive Pop
Sometimes the most exciting pop songs are the ones that refuse to play by the rules. Gus Dapperton’s “Queen” certainly seems to have received that memo, arriving in a glorious rush of guitar, attitude and colourful sentiment. Beneath its playful indie-pop exterior sits a pointed frustration with masculinity and the state of the world — but rather than becoming weighed down by it, Dapperton turns that frustration into something wildly catchy, wonderfully unruly and, quite frankly, impossible to ignore.
The New York-based indie-pop singer-songwriter-producer returns with his first album in three years, “4 Dear Life”, a record that takes its title from the expression ‘holding on for dear life’. Dapperton describes the album as an “attempt to find hope in times of struggle”, and already I’m intrigued by the idea of where that sentiment might take him.
New taste “Queen” certainly doesn’t shy away from the struggle. In fact, it turns frustration into something opinionated and incredibly addictive. The song began with a set of guitar chords before evolving into the track Dapperton says he is most proud of — and listening to it, I can understand why.
Dapperton has spoken openly about his frustration with the state of the world and uses “Queen” to take aim at the pervasive nature of patriarchy and the expectations surrounding masculinity.
“I’ve been so pissed off the last couple years about the state of the world,” he explains.
What I particularly enjoy is the way that frustration doesn’t weigh the song down. Instead, Dapperton throws it into a colourful indie-pop blender, creating something that feels playful while carrying a very deliberate message. The hook imagines escaping gender expectations, with Dapperton singing:
“I wanna be one of the girls with hearts of gold we’re rocking diamonds and pearls looking pretty, wearing pink, thinking all of the right things. Aye this may be a man’s world, but no man is a king”
The accompanying video, directed by Dapperton himself, strips everything back even further. Seated in a chair with his guitar, he simply performs “Queen”. It is intimate and almost deliberately understated, allowing the vulnerability within the song to come into sharper focus.
Sometimes you don’t need a huge production to make a statement. Here, the simplicity feels like the point.
And perhaps that is what has left me most intrigued about “4 Dear Life”. Gus Dapperton is finding hope by turning frustration into colourful, unruly pop. “Queen” might be cathartic, but sometimes pent-up emotion is exactly where the most interesting ideas begin.
Connect with Gus Dapperton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gusdapperton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gusdapperton/
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