Tom Goss is a master of infusing earnest poetry with bold choices. But with his latest release, "Bear Soup," a wild collaboration with hot singer-songwriter Chris Conde, he bellyflops head first in the pool of body-positive, unapologetically campy joy. Bouncing and then embracing a self-defeating thought, "Bear Soup" is at once a twerk anthem and trap-laced pop-dance confection, not just a party starter but a declaration of joy, freedom, and self-acceptance.
Goss once jokingly wondered why there wasn't a twerk anthem custom-made for the bear community. He made one, but a rich, raucous, booty-shaking banger designed for the proud, the playful, and the powerfully plus-sized. The beat knocks with a deep, rolling bass line and irresistible trap hi-hats that have your shoulders shrugging before your brain can even think to object. It's all swaddled in a slick, glossy coat of dance-pop music made for sunlit poolside parties, sweat-drenched dancefloors, and those summertime nights where you leave your inhibitions where you also leave your flip flops.
Chris Conde, as usual, kills it with some of the year's best bars, raw, witty, and thoroughly his own. His rhymes break up the beat with cocky finesse, flying alongside Goss's mellower, more soulful hooks. The chemistry between the two artists crackles. They are playful and flirty, and they pack plenty of personality.
But beneath the bounce, there is meaning to "Bear Soup." It's a love letter to queerness in all its forms. It's a sanctuary where the bear community and anyone who's ever felt too much or not enough is welcome and worshipped. Tom Goss once again demonstrates that he knows how to write music that moves emotionally and physically. "Bear Soup" is a song that is much more than that. It's an invitation to jump in, get wild, and love yourself loudly.
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