mazie's "dumb dumb" Is a Surreal Pop Song Inspired By the Capitol Insurrection
You just can't help but laugh. It's an idea that speaks to a universal human response to times of great strife and confusion, a primal safety mechanism that has become all the more commonplace in recent years. This seemingly paradoxical response builds the emotional crux of mazie's latest single, "dumb dumb."
"dumb dumb" arrives alongside news of mazie's forthcoming debut EP, the rainbow cassette, set to release August 25 via Good Boy / Virgin music. At first glance, "dumb dumb" is a sublime, idyllic pop diversion rife with nostalgic flashes of production and instrumentation, simultaneously calling to mind the free-thinking nature of bedroom pop and psychedelic folk. However, at its core, the single tells a much darker story that speaks to how we have come to regard what ought to be tragedies with a general sense of malaise and comical indifference.
Mazie shares, "We had been discussing QAnon, misinformation, and how quickly the internet has degraded the concept of 'fact.' The lyrics 'Everyone is dumb' just felt like a very fitting synopsis of those conversations." She continues, "Lyrics like 'I just wanna be the comic relief, making jokes not taking any responsibility' were heavily referencing the memes from the Insurrection and how content like that so quickly degrades the severity of what was happening."
Written the day after the Capitol Insurrection, which saw a group of domestic terrorists storm the halls of Congress, resulting in five deaths, "dumb dumb" and its surreal nature take on an entirely different air. The opening lines, "Disappointment takes us by surprise / Even though by now I think we should have realized," speak to a greater lack of collective responsibility, which, as evidenced by the ensuing memes and levity surrounding the event, is part of a much larger socio-political cycle.
With its surreal and psychedelic take on pop, listening to "dumb dumb" very much feels like falling headfirst into the rabbit hole. But, as mazie makes clear as day, look a little closer and this twisted fantasy world you're floating through may just be a reality of our own making.
Listen to "dumb dumb" below:
