Blu DeTiger is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, record producer,… Read Full Bio ↴Blu DeTiger is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, record producer, and DJ based in New York City.

Blu DeTiger always knew that music was something that she wanted to do.

Born and raised in New York City, DeTiger first picked up a bass guitar when she was 7 years old after seeing her brother pick up drums.

“Naturally I thought, ‘Oh I want to play an instrument too!’ I was thinking to myself electric guitar was too mainstream — which is funny to think about because I was 7 years old and thinking like this —I wanted to be more unique,” said DeTiger. “I saw a lot of girls playing guitar but I didn’t see many girls playing bass. I went to guitar center and got one, it was taller than me. I took lessons, played with my brother a lot and fell in love with it.”

The now 21-year-old bassist played with the New York City-based School of Rock from the ages of 7 to 13, giving her early exposure to performing live. Throughout middle school and high school, DeTiger played in bands with her peers and started to get some of her writing chops.

“I wrote with bands in a group setting, it wasn’t really my own stuff,” said DeTiger. “I was always playing with older kids, in middle school I played with high school kids and in high school I played with college students. In New York, there’s such a network here and you start to know everyone in music. That’s what was good about being born and raised here.”

By the time she was 17 years old DeTiger was touring with bands as a bass player for hire and started to kick off her own DJing career. Before she knew it, DeTiger was performing DJ sets at clubs and venues throughout the city.

However, it wasn’t until she started DJing that DeTiger felt the bug to write and perform her own original music.

“I would bring my bass with me to the sets and improvise over the pop songs,” said DeTiger. “When you’re a DJ, you’re controlling the room. It’s in your power to make people dance or make people feel this way, it’s an interesting art form. Since I was improvising bass over it, the DJ thing really helped me realize that I wanted to express myself in that way and play my own music — I would think, ‘how cool would it be if I just dropped my own song in this DJ set right now?'”

DeTiger started to write and release her own music in 2019 and landed a gig touring opening for The Knocks, an American electronic music duo. She had plans to tour in Europe this year with Fletcher, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2020, DeTiger released her single “Figure It Out,” a song that came to her naturally while she was playing music with a friend of hers. She later released the quarantine music video for the song, which was completely shot on an iPhone, following the success of the official music video.

“A lot of young girls are playing bass and saying my videos inspired them,” said DeTiger. “There was a mini-trend of people learning the bassline to ‘Figure It Out’ and posting videos and tagging me — that all felt so amazing. It warms my heart so much to know that kids are inspired to pick up an instrument during this time.”

During these months of quarantine, DeTiger found herself falling into a routine of working through the night and sleeping until early afternoon. While she is normally a night owl, DeTiger was able to use this altered sleep schedule to her advantage and worked on music.

“I’m really excited to expand on my artistry and let my fans get to know me more,” said DeTiger.

Overdrive
Blu Detiger Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm alive
Used to be in overdrive
My head was spinnin' all the time
Look at what you're doin'
It was a movie scene
Auditionin' for girl number three
But I'm more of a young Meryl Streep
Look at what you're doin'

I can't believe you had me spillin' all over the place
'Cause I don't feel a thing when I see you
Dancin' on the side of the stage
(Huh)

You're the one who turned it up into overdrive
Now you're the one up in the front, wanna lose your mind
And all I wanna do, all I wanna do
Is leave it all behind, leave it all behind
But I'm the one who sets you off, and we're goin' right to overdrive

Drive you insane
Always wanna hit replay
It's somethin' that we can't explain
Look at what you're doin'
You know I'm so divine
Always livin' by the signs
But now I'm on my own
And I, I know what I'm doin'

I can't believe you had me spillin' all over the place
'Cause I don't feel a thing when I see you
Dancin' on the side of the stage

You're the one who turned it up into overdrive

Now you're the one up in the front, wanna lose your mind (lose your mind)
And all I wanna do, all I wanna do
Is leave it all behind, leave it all behind
But I'm the one who sets you off, and we're goin' right to overdrive

Oh-ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa
Oh-ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa
Oh-ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Overdrive" by Blu Detiger convey a sense of self-awareness and empowerment in the face of an intense emotional experience. The singer begins by expressing a newfound sense of vitality and awareness of their own existence, contrasting it with a time when they were overwhelmed and constantly on the go. The reference to being in "overdrive" suggests a period of frenetic activity and possibly emotional turmoil, with their head spinning from the chaos around them. The mention of auditioning for a role in a movie scene reflects a desire for recognition and validation, likening themselves to a young Meryl Streep who is known for her versatile acting skills.

The lyrics then shift to focus on a specific individual who has had a significant impact on the singer's emotional state. The singer describes feeling scattered and vulnerable around this person, yet paradoxically feeling numb when seeing them dance on the side of the stage. This juxtaposition suggests a complex mix of emotions, including confusion, hurt, and a longing to escape from the situation. The reference to being the one who sets the other person off hints at a power dynamic in the relationship, with the singer acknowledging their influence over the other person's emotions.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the intensity of their connection with this person, likening it to being in overdrive and always wanting to hit replay. There is a sense of inevitability and inexplicability in their bond, as if they are caught in a cycle of intense emotions that they struggle to understand. The mention of living by the signs suggests a reliance on intuition and fate, but now the singer finds themselves standing on their own and claiming agency over their own decisions.

The chorus reinforces the theme of being caught in a whirlwind of emotions and desires, with the singer acknowledging the allure of leaving it all behind but ultimately being drawn back into the intensity of the situation. The repetition of "overdrive" serves as a metaphor for the heightened emotions and adrenaline of their relationship, with both parties unable to resist the pull towards each other despite the potential chaos and uncertainty it brings. The anthemic nature of the song's outro, with its repeated "oh-ooh-whoa" refrain, further emphasizes the intense and cathartic experience of being caught in the tumultuous whirlwind of love and passion.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm alive
I am feeling alive and present in this moment

Used to be in overdrive
I used to be overwhelmed and pushed to the limit

My head was spinnin' all the time
I was constantly feeling dizzy and overwhelmed

Look at what you're doin'
Reflecting on the actions and impact of someone else

It was a movie scene
It felt like a dramatic movie moment in my life

Auditionin' for girl number three
Feeling like I'm just another option or competition in someone's life

But I'm more of a young Meryl Streep
Recognizing my own talent and potential, more than just a supporting role

I can't believe you had me spillin' all over the place
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed and out of control because of you

'Cause I don't feel a thing when I see you
Realizing that seeing you doesn't evoke any emotions in me

Dancin' on the side of the stage
Watching you enjoy yourself from a distance

You're the one who turned it up into overdrive
You're the one who intensified the situation and made it more overwhelming

Now you're the one up in the front, wanna lose your mind
You're now taking the lead and risking everything

And all I wanna do, all I wanna do
All I desire is to leave everything behind

Is leave it all behind, leave it all behind
To move on from this intense situation and start fresh

But I'm the one who sets you off, and we're goin' right to overdrive
Even though I trigger your intense reactions, we are heading towards chaos and exhaustion

Drive you insane
Pushing you to the brink of madness

Always wanna hit replay
Constantly wanting to relive the moments we shared

It's somethin' that we can't explain
Our connection and actions are inexplicable and beyond reason

You know I'm so divine
You are aware of my unique and special qualities

Always livin' by the signs
Guided by intuition and following signs and signals

But now I'm on my own
I am now independent and standing alone

And I, I know what I'm doin'
Confident in my own decisions and actions

Oh-ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa
Expressing a sense of surprise or realization

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tabitha Blu DeTiger, Nate Donmoyer, Sizzy Rocket, Rex DeTiger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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