Adolescence is BAYNK’s most meticulous work to date. It revels in eccentric, distinctive details while adhering to traditional pop structures. Most arrangements consist of grainy synth loops, plucky subs, and house-inspired drums; his digital sounds are drenched in reverb and slapped with sidechain. On the Cosmo’s Midnight-assisted “How Does it Feel?” languid synth pulses and a funky bassline give way to some of the sharpest vocal melodies on the album. “Remember,” which features Rainsford, exhibits BAYNK’s talent for peeling a heavily layered song back to its component parts before climaxing into an ecstatic yet graceful drop. This is dance music for headphones, club music for late-night walks.
The best songs on Adolescence bend toward straightforward pop formulas and, tellingly, include non-electronic instruments. “Mine” is led by quiet piano and spacey guitar, while standout “Naked” blends acoustic elements and electric bass with shimmering synths. BAYNK gives his best vocal performances here: “Get caught up on trying to pin you down/Your fingers ’round my neck, they’re feeling soft now," he coos on “Naked,” evoking the warm upper register of Whitney’s Julien Ehrlich. He’s not a great singer, as Tinashe makes plain when she steals the show on “Esther”; he scrubs clean his imperfections with layers of automation, delay, and reverb. Still, BAYNK has a keen ear for melody and knows his limits, wisely ceding the mic to guests while he works the boards.
The album is nominally a concept record about the immediacy of youth and romantic first experiences. “I went through this period of not being able to write anything,” BAYNK told Apple Music. Being in a “stable and happy relationship” wasn’t conducive to inspiration, so to get around his writer’s block, he returned to the creative cocoon of “first love.” Lyrically, the album is imagistic and vague, depicting half-baked scenes of lying in the sun, holding hands in a car, and walking through fields. The narrative never coalesces into anything meaningful, and its emotional pull wanes quickly. First love invigorates but rarely sustains; it’s BAYNK’s elastic and original production that propels the album forward, the pulse of the beat begging us to feel something beyond recognition.
DOWN
BAYNK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Curling up beside ya
On the bed
Bed
Laughing in the water
Curling up beside ya
On the bedBed
And I think I want DOWN
And I think I want DOWN
Hate the thought of letting go like I always do
Caught me in the undertow like you always do
Laughing in the water
Curling up beside ya
On the bed
Bed
Laughing in the water
Curling up beside ya
On the bed
Bed
And I think I want DOWN
And I think I want DOWN
Hate the thought of letting go like I always do
Caught me in the undertow like you always do
Come catch you when you’re sliding
I can’t help but try toFind you through the silence
Hope that’s not misguided
I never said I knew what I’m doing
DOWN
And I think I want DOWN
(Come catch you when you’re sliding)
Hate the thought of letting go like I always do
Caught me in the undertow like you always do
(Come catch you when you’re sliding)
The lyrics in "DOWN" by BAYNK describe the feeling of being lost in a relationship but desiring to stay in it. The lines "Laughing in the water, curling up beside ya, on the bed" create an image of the couple spending time together, enjoying each other's company. However, the repetition of the lines and the use of the word "always" in "Hate the thought of letting go like I always do, caught me in the undertow like you always do" implies that the relationship is not stable and there is a certain level of uncertainty and fear of abandonment.
The repetition of the phrase "And I think I want DOWN" suggests that the singer is contemplating leaving the relationship. However, the later lines "Come catch you when you're sliding, I can't help but try to, Find you through the silence, hope that's not misguided" indicate that the singer is still trying to hold onto the relationship despite feeling like they are drowning in it. This internal struggle of wanting to leave but also wanting to stay is a common theme in relationships, and the song portrays it in a relatable and intimate way.
Line by Line Meaning
Laughing in the water
Enjoying the moment by doing what we love the most, in this case possibly swimming or just being carefree in water
Curling up beside ya
Physically coming closer to someone we care about, possibly for comfort or intimacy
On the bed
Being in a private space where we can truly let go and be ourselves
Bed
More of a repetition, emphasizing on the importance of being comfortable with our loved ones in a place we can truly let go
And I think I want DOWN
A confession that the artist feels ready to take the relationship to the next level, possibly towards a more committed relationship
Hate the thought of letting go like I always do
Acknowledging the singer's tendency to avoid deep relationships and expressing hesitancy towards potentially losing this person
Caught me in the undertow like you always do
Acknowledging how the other person has a way of making the singer feel deeply connected and vulnerable
Come catch you when you’re sliding
A promise to be there for the other person when they are feeling lost or uncertain
I can’t help but try to
Confessing a strong desire to support someone we care about and showing that it's involuntary and comes naturally
Find you through the silence
Noticing that sometimes silence is telling and meant to be questioned and the urge or responsibility we feel to fully understand the other person's moods and intentions
Hope that’s not misguided
Admitting that the singer's desire to support and help the other person might not be the right decision, but still hoping it is
I never said I knew what I’m doing
Accepting that despite our best intentions, we don't always have the right answers and we are only trying our best
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, SUISA, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: CONNOR GRANT, JOCK NOWELL-USTICKE, MAX BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joshuakamer1048
criminally underrated
@Apollo-th2xb
How does this not have million plus views, the emotion coming from the simple voice and bassline is simply amazing
@prismbrand1540
Agree! I'm shocked.
@nightzzmixx
This guy is a prodigy. Never give up your sound, Baynk. It keeps me going.
@ryneknutila4484
I’ve always watched the small clip of this on Spotify and finally made my way here. One of the most beautiful and artistic videos I’ve seen this years if not maybe ever
@vidabee8672
Same, all same
@cristianroy21
I love my Spotify account
This song is perfect, just perfect. Down to the last minute detail
@NikolaTeslaSlapsHard369
This is beautiful
@fonkeeflo
Ce mec est un prodige. Tellement excellent!
@turbosaari
Baynk you gonna blow up this year!!!