Ladies and gents, it’s a newcomer by the name of bothsxdes sliding through with his debut single, “twentytwenty.” A self-sufficient and satisfactory, he writes, records, produces, and mixes the track himself, with mastering assistance from YAOUNDÉBOXINGCLUB, lending the song a polished but intimate feel.
“twentytwenty” is much more than a winking reference to a year and a contemplative frame through which bothsxdes considers the moments that have shaped him. With lyrics that navigate the space between regret and progress, the song itself captures the uncomfortable realization of personal culpability. It’s spawned from the lies we tell ourselves, the relationships we half-tend, and the mistakes that never die.
As bothsxdes describes it, it sings the person I was, the person I am, and the person I am becoming. I’ve changed, and I can feel it, she continued, but I’ll never go back to twenty. That sentiment is infused into the rest of the track’s mesh of self-awareness and introspection, which combines for a particularly aching diary entry set to music.
“twentytwenty” finds a new midpoint between meditative indie rock and avant-garde Black art. There’s a thread of reminiscence that invokes Bloc Party’s restless energy combined with the melodic wit of Andre 3000, bringing us something both thoughtful and next. Filmed entirely on film, the striking quality of the visuals for the track reflects the song’s dual life between London and Paris. It offers a real sense of intimacy and world-weariness which feels lived-in, not manufactured.
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