Gus Dapperton – “Queen”

Gus Dapperton has been pissed off about the state of the world. His words, not ours. The more impressive part is that “Queen,” his response to what he calls the “tyranny of men,” doesn't arrive carrying a podium. There is no required reading. No lecture before the chorus. It is, first and foremost, an incredibly good pop record. You can interrogate the patriarchy after you've finished enjoying the sonics.

The song keeps returning to the idea that this may be a man's world, but that doesn't make every man a king. If only more people could take a page from that book and stop trying so desperately to force the crown onto their own heads. Take it off. Better yet, take it all off. Dapperton essentially does in the self-directed video, stripping away the layers until there isn't much left to hide behind. Funny how often the people most concerned with projecting power seem to require the most elaborate costume to maintain it.

“Queen” also introduces Dapperton's fourth album, 4 Dear Life, due October 23, a project described as searching for hope during difficult times while stepping back from social media. Not pretending everything is fine. Not escaping it. Just locating enough joy to make staying in the world worthwhile. That's a considerably more interesting response to being pissed off than letting the anger swallow the song whole.

And maybe that's just it. “Queen” has plenty to say about power, masculinity and the men currently making a mess of things, but Dapperton never forgets that the message still has to survive the speakers. It does. Crown off. Volume up.