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.
Water
BAYNK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there
Chasing feelings, pacing back and forth
What are all the empty places for?
Riding a lavender line, somebody make up my mind
Make up my mind
Somebody make up my mindMake up my mind
Somebody make up my mind
Something's in the water and it's giving people nightmares
Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there
Chasing feelings, pacing back and forth
What are all the empty places for?
Riding a lavender line, somebody make up my mind
The lyrics of BAYNK's song Water are introspective and reveal a profound sense of confusion and uncertainty. The opening line "Something's in the water and it's giving people nightmares" is a metaphorical statement that something is wrong, and it is affecting everyone. It could be interpreted as a societal issue or simply a personal one, but whatever the meaning, the chaos of the world is causing people to have bad dreams.
The following line "Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there" represents a longing for something more, something beyond the present reality, but the path to reach it is unclear. The reference to "Heaven" may be symbolic of a better place or state of mind, but the lyrics suggest it is unattainable because of the confusion and anxiety that plagues us.
The next few lines of the song are reflective and contemplative, as the singer questions the meaning of their existence, "What are all the empty places for?" and pleads with someone to help them make a decision, "Somebody make up my mind."
Overall, the lyrics of Water are thought-provoking and existential, conveying a sense of longing and unfulfillment in the face of an uncertain and chaotic world.
Line by Line Meaning
Something's in the water and it's giving people nightmares
There's something affecting people that's causing them to have bad dreams and discomfort
Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there
We have a glimpse into something great, but we're not sure how to reach it
Chasing feelings, pacing back and forth
We're pursuing emotions, but we're not making any progress
What are all the empty places for?
We're questioning why there are areas in our lives that seem to be unfulfilled
Riding a lavender line, somebody make up my mind
We're in a state of confusion and indecisiveness, hoping for someone to give us direction
Make up my mind
Repetition of the hopeless state of indecision
Somebody make up my mind
Repetition of the desire for someone else to make decisions for us
Make up my mind
Repetition of the hopeless state of indecision
Somebody make up my mind
Repetition of the desire for someone else to make decisions for us
Writer(s): DANIEL STANFILL, JOCK NOWELL-USTICKE
Contributed by Audrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@xxKIDxx8oxxx
(Lyrics)
Something's in the water and it's giving people nightmares
Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there
Chasing feelings, pacing back and forth
What are all the empty places for?
Riding a lavender line, somebody make up my mind
Make up my mind
Somebody make up my mind
Make up my mind
Somebody make up my mind
Something's in the water and it's giving people nightmares
Seeing into Heaven, but we don't know how to get there
Chasing feelings, pacing back and forth
What are all the empty places for?
Riding a lavender line, somebody make up my mind
@milqvetoast
I first heard this song 2 days ago and since then I've probably listened to it 6 or more times. I'm addicted and probably will be for forever 😂
@austinsinger7565
For real. It's such a vibe
@vtecn8ive
Still, addicted to it 2 years later?
@rolozzzz
5hours-derro
When I get there-Big Wild
<3
@LawrenceAngeleMusic
same
@AUTONOXGAMING
Still addicted ?
@creampuff966
The only problem with this song is that it's too short. The vocals are amazing!!
@wp12mv
I keep imagining this song as the life of a water droplet, starting off in a glacier, dripping, slowly going down the mountain slide, left right left, waterfall, flushing into the ocean, evaporating and the whole cycle starting over again
@nozzzzy
This is daynk.
@gtaatmiami
unreal. the synth and flow is unreal. one of my favorite songs of all time.