One inevitable in life is that we will all be hurt by others, which is so hard to process. But there’s another similar inevitable that we all go through. That’s hurting others. Life is full of hard decisions, miscommunications, and disjointed relationships. Believe it or not, this is also hard to process for most of us. Hurt is such a potent feeling, and that’s why it’s always emotional on all sides. Cliff Whitakker explores this sort of feeling through the story of an empty relationship in his latest single, ‘Throwing Shade.’
Cliff Whitakker is back at it again with another smooth deep-cut of a track. ‘Throwing Shade’ builds you straight into its atmosphere with its dreamy production, reverby guitar riffs, and pulsating synths. At the beginning of the track, these synths grow before the music cuts into a bit more of a chord and percussive-based sound with Whitakker’s signature sleek and succinct vocals. There are also ethereal vocal harmonies mixed into the instrumentation, and it adds so much life to the overall sound of this single. The guitar riff serving as an outro is the perfect cherry on top. This is yet another single by Whitakker displaying his ability to make a slow-and-steady song captivating and dynamic.
As mentioned above, ‘Throwing Shade’ is absolutely a deep-cut of a track. It’s about getting into a relationship with someone you’re not really in love with. The first verse explores this idea by calling the person it’s written about a ‘phony,’ but soon mentioning that the voice of the song has “got her next to me.” The latter verse gets more into the knowledge that you will hurt the other person in this relationship, and that for once, it isn’t your heart that will be broken. These lyrics explore a kind of relationship and feeling that isn’t explored much in music. One where hurt is inevitable, and though you’re the one hurting the other, it has a lasting emotional impact on both parties.
Cliff Whitakker is a Miami-based singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer known for his smooth and emotional indie sound and production work for several large artists. So far he’s worked with artists such as Lil Wayne, Swae Lee, and Russ. In his own music, he has a knack for experimentation, and his work with other artists lends well to the beat and clarity of each track. Whitakker recorded and produced Throwing Shade in his own bedroom, but the exemplary production makes it sound like it was done in a professional studio. This is yet another great work by Cliff Whitakker.
Written by Sage Plapp
