Even if it is for the best, every break up is bound to leave some emotional bruises. But in his new track, ‘’If I’m Dead’’, Bvmmer shows it’s possible to move on from that ex (or try to), even if they’re still living rent free in your mind. Written, recorded, and mixed entirely in his backyard shed, ‘’If I’m Dead’’ flips the breakup song architype on its head. Bvmmer ventures away from the genre’s typical sombre stylings and instead, crafts a bop. A bop that makes you want to dance around your bedroom with your friend, instead of weep alone on your bathroom floor. Bvmmer blends R&B, Hip Hop and Pop-Rap to create a multi-genre sonic smoothie, delicious to the listener’s ears.
A pair of high-tone, summary piano chords introduce the listener to the record and remain throughout. The lightness they lend is what gives ‘’If I’m Dead’’ its summery vibe. A synthesised keyboard serves as the song’s nucleus. The catchy melody repeats itself in a different key, which could be interpreted as the personification of a back and forth between Bvmmer and his ex. Meanwhile, the backing track is made complete with its Rap trimmings. Each metallic drill and thunderous 808 boom lends the song its attitude and vibrates throughout your body.
The personal lyricism in ‘’If I’m Dead’’ infers that Bvmmer is directly addressing an unnamed ex. The emotional distress is apparent when he sings ‘’can’t get up when I fall/What’s the point to it all/You don’t know what goes down in my head’’. Bvmmer’s raw lyricism gives the listener a glimpse into his emotional turmoil following a difficult break up. This idea is reinforced when he reveals: ‘’breaking down in my car/Tryna’ tear down them walls/But you build them back up again’’. There is a mighty strength in his vulnerability.
‘’If I’m Dead’’ sees Bvmmer grapple with simultaneously wanting to reunite with and forget about an ex. When he asks the rhetorical question, ‘’aren’t you tired of always running through my head?’’ it strikes a Universal chord. Just because you know someone isn’t good for you, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be with them. ‘’If I’m Dead’’ makes you see that pesky ex you can’t seem to let go of in a different lens – and even if you’re not okay right now, one day you will be.
‘’If I’m Dead’’ is out now.
Written by Sadie Willis-Falkiner
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