Rex Orange County – “Elvis” (feat. Brendan Yates)

Elvis Presley understood the value of making an entrance. The hair, the hips, the jumpsuits, the sort of confidence that could turn a simple walk across the stage into an international incident. The man practically invented the art of being watched. And now Rex Orange County has written a song called “Elvis,” featuring Brendan Yates of Turnstile, in which Elvis's legendary composure has been replaced by a rather alarming case of nerves. Somebody alert Graceland. The King has developed a nervous disposition.

“I'm not so calm, I shake my legs like I'm Elvis,” Rex sings, borrowing his most recognizable physical characteristic while leaving the confidence behind. The song opens with a relationship that has grown painfully distant, even when the two people involved are standing next to each other. He wonders whether something is wrong and whether his own heart is the appropriate size for the body carrying it around. By the time he's admitting that he wants to be someone's only friend because he's selfish, I'm beginning to suspect the relationship could benefit from a little breathing room. Unfortunately, Rex has booked us all into a hotel in Las Vegas, where the concept of forever is available as a wedding package. Musically, plucked guitars and cinematic strings give the song a lovely combination of intimacy and grandeur, while Yates brings an unexpected dimension to the proceedings. The Turnstile frontman, ordinarily associated with making festival audiences behave like malfunctioning washing machines, plays drums and contributes vocals here. On paper, an unusual seating arrangement at a wedding. In practice, a collaboration that feels entirely at home.

“Elvis” appears on Rex's newly released sixth studio album, Dream Fatigue, which follows a protagonist who keeps adopting different identities to win the affection of someone he loves. Elvis Presley, Hannah Montana, Iron Man. It's an ambitious wardrobe, with one hell of a dry-cleaning bill. The larger concept makes this particular song especially revealing. Rex can imitate Elvis's movements, imagine an eternity in Vegas, and picture himself as the leading man in a romance, but he can't make the uncertainty disappear. Six thousand miles from home, the same problems have apparently checked into the hotel under his name. There's also a particularly affecting moment when he describes taking the stage in the middle of nowhere while feeling the person he loves slipping away. Performing for an audience while privately worrying about losing the one person whose attention matters most is a peculiar kind of loneliness.

The collaboration itself is worth celebrating. Dream Fatigue was co-executive produced by Mustafa and Dylan Wiggins, with contributions from Daniel Caesar, Dev Hynes, and others, marking a more collaborative chapter for Rex. He and Yates debuted “Elvis” together at London's Village Underground in August, and Brendan also directed the song's accompanying music video, which you can watch below. I like the idea of a song about struggling to be enough for someone benefiting from the presence of another musician. Even with all those borrowed identities, Rex sounds most convincing when he allows someone else into the room. Turns out there's room for two people in the spotlight after all.

And perhaps that's the most appealing thing about “Elvis.” Rex spends the song reaching for the confidence of an icon, but the performance is at its best when he sounds entirely like himself. Nervous, devoted, occasionally selfish, and willing to admit that the romantic fantasy might be getting a little difficult to maintain. Elvis had the jumpsuits, the sideburns, and a permanent address in the cultural imagination. Rex has a hotel room, a complicated heart, and Brendan Yates on drums. Personally, I think he's doing just fine. Different heroes, different capes.