By: Hope Ankney
There’s a reason why people cling so heavily to the 90’s. There is a clear distinction in the vibe and atmosphere that seems to have been all but forgotten as the modern climate, especially in politics and art, has grown darker. The 90’s were incredibly lively and full of zest. The influx of upbeat pop songs, vibrant colored clothing, carefree attitudes, and overall happiness radiating from the decade leaves it difficult not to grab hold of and save it for rainy days. Therefore, it seems, people automatically gravitate towards music that provokes a unique sense of nostalgia for this era – tapping into sounds that allow one to wistfully enjoy and reminiscence on this lost passage of time where positivity was blatant instead of tirelessly sought after. With Daym’s return to the music scene, his alt-90’s-charged “Critical” displays everything bright and refreshing the decade represented.
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Daym made sure to make his presence known after turning heads while supporting Blackbear and Said the Sky. The dreamy, alt-90’s inspired “Critical,’ which rides through themes that touch on nostalgia and being nicer to one another, comes after his 2017 rise through working alongside EDM artist Fluencie. Self-produced, the single dives into shimmering beats, infectious, pop hooks, and slick textures that sound as if it crackled through a boombox on a humid day in 1996.
The music video that accompanies the single only solidifies the laidback energy that encompasses the track. Produced with director Kevin Chiu, featuring Columbia University’s ONYX dance team, the “Critical” video looks as if it was a lost time-capsule archive from the 90’s, focusing on that breezy yet bubbly atmosphere that the 90’s evoked in all of us. When listening to the upbeat and glimmering single, one feels like they should be up and dancing, boy-band style, to the contagious beat, and the video utilizes that vibe to bring that energy to the screen. The dancers have several choreographed dance breaks that aren’t just stellar but appropriate for the nostalgic “90’s baby” flare that “Critical” gleams.
The dreamy visuals and sound not only make one homesick for one of the happiest decades of our lifetimes, but “Critical” motivates us to be kinder to one another. Daym is heard asking, “Why do we treat each other so bad?” and proclaiming, “life is short why don’t we just get along?” And, when laid overtop the overwhelmingly fun and upbeat musicality of the track, it’s difficult not to agree with him over if we could, somehow, get back to that sunny atmosphere of the 90’s he highlights here.
Daym, an appellation derived from the word “dame,” praises himself on celebrating ambiguity of identity in music. With that message alongside his 90’s inspired “Critical”, maybe he is the kind of artist we need right now. As we wade through these dark times of our modern climate, bringing the nostalgia and refreshing fondness for a decade full of such bright disposition through music is something so many desperately need.
