Coming off the release of his intoxicating joint single “Brandy” with Full Crate, Kyle Dion follows with not one, but two new singles: “That Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Stressed Out.”
The spunky hipster’s falsetto makes a glass-shattering appearance on “That Don’t Mean a Thing,” an underground techno-funk jam that relies on a woman’s actions speaking louder than her words.
“On ‘That Don’t Mean A Thing,’ I wanted to give a new energy to the world because everything’s so heavy right now,” says Dion. “We need more joy, and we forget it is an important part of life to maintain for ourselves, and right now it’s somewhat buried under all the stress that’s currently in the world. It’s one of those songs that should make you feel good and make you want to dance.”
“Stressed Out,” produced by Aabo and Al Shux, speaks to the famed-dazed issues Dion pointed out about his SUGA persona, introduced on his debut album.
Over a retro-video game backbeat, Dion recalls the days of blowing through label advances to downing booze to eclipse his problems. Now, he considers himself blessed, even though his post-famed drama still exists.
“’Stressed Out’ is what the world is feeling right now,” Dion explains. “There’s this thick air of hopelessness, despair and anger that seems to have consumed the world in 2020, but through all of that there’s also empowerment and this sense of closeness as we’re all going through it together.”
Earlier this year, Dion re-issued his SUGA debut in deluxe form. The standard version made Rated R&B’s 30 best R&B albums of 2019 list.
Listen to “That Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Stressed Out” by Kyle Dion below.
