Bobbie Allen, going by Young Summer, shines in her second single of the year, “The Emperor.” Similar to her earlier 2020 release, “If the World Falls to Pieces”, the track laments over the chaos of the world. However, in “The Emperor,” Young Summer isn’t afraid to get a little darker and more political in her songwriting. With nostalgic production and a rumbling voice reminiscent to Lana Del Rey, she takes Hans Christian Andersen’s old fairytale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and presents its relevance to today’s politics.
Unlike the fairytale’s emperor not admitting his lack of magical clothes, Young Summer’s track looks at the ruler’s unwillingness to acknowledge and fix the world’s problems. Despite its dark, honest lyrical content, the production blends peaceful 70s-esque horns and pianos. It makes it even more heartbreaking when she croons, “Nothing is a lullaby, we’re losing our collective minds.”
The music video matches up with the lyrics, showing an animated Donald Trump walking along a red carpet in just boxer shorts. Meanwhile, his pride and his sunglasses make him oblivious to the protests, bullets, tear gas canisters appearing around him.
Young Summer last releases were her 2014 debut album Siren and the 2016 EP You Would Have Loved it Here. Based on these last couple of singles she’s brewed up in the past year, it will be interesting to see her take on more political and other relevant topics in her future work.
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