SBTRKT debuted in 2009 with remixes of artists like Radiohead, M.I.A, Basement Jaxx (βScarsβ) and Franz Ferdinand (βSend Him Awayβ). These remixes gained the attention of radio DJs and tastemaker blogs, leading to more releases on Brainmath label, Ramp and Young.
His 2011 eponymous debut SBTRKT was critically acclaimed, featuring starmaking turns from artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha. Jerome's collaboration with Sampha had begun in 2010, with the two working to hone their music production skills together in Jerome's London apartment. The creative bond would extend across all of the subsequent SBTRKT albums. Jerome followed up his debut album with 2014's Wonder Where We Land, featuring contributions from Caroline Polachek, A$AP Ferg, alongside Ware, Sampha, and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig.
SBTRKT's third project -- 2016's Save Yourself -- saw Jerome tackling xenophobia, political corruption, and the toils of being an artist under capitalism. Featuring contributions from Shelley FKA DRAM, The-Dream, and Sampha, the project was initially positioned as a rejection of the traditional album format, with Jerome writing upon release that "this is not an album" and that "culturally, albums now feel like a means to prove you are a "real" artist. To release an album, you turn yourself over to traditional label cycles and the end of increasing sales, leaving behind the creative spirit that brought the music to life in the first place."
After releasing Save Yourself, Jerome took an extended hiatus, returning in 2023 with his fourth project The Rat Road. Again inspired by the dire sociopolitical context, Jerome sought to send up the idea of the "rat race," while also stepping more fully into the spotlight and reclaiming his artistry and the narrative surrounding the SBTRKT project. In the lead-up to the album's release, Jerome discussed his South Asian heritage, how the initial anonymity of the SBTRKT project alienated him from his art, and how during his hiatus from the project he sought to hone his skills. The album was released on May 5, 2023.
http://sbtrkt.com
Wildfire
SBTRKT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rushing the night like a shark, babe
Would it be bad?
If I had to set the alarm
'Cause those thrills that run up my back
You are my star
Nothing else can lead me off track
You're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
You're innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime if you don't
You'll expire, by the throat
I could bet all the riches that I ever had
Rushing the night like a shark, babe
Would it be bad?
Hey, (yeah) yeah
You're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
You're innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime if you don't
You'll expire, by the throat
You're innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime if you don't
You'll expire, by the throat
Hey, yeah
You're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
You're innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime if you don't
You'll expire, by the throat
You're innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime if you don't
You'll expire, by the throat
The lyrics to SBTRKT's song "Wildfire" explore the intense, all-consuming feelings of attraction and desire towards another person. The singer compares the force of their feelings to a wildfire, using metaphors of a shark and rushing waters to convey the intensity and unpredictability of their emotions. They express a willingness to take risks and put themselves in vulnerable situations in order to be with this person, even if it means sacrificing their own safety or well-being. The repeated refrain of "You're innocence, who's brave?" suggests that the object of their desire is perhaps more innocent or naive than the singer, and that the singer is willing to protect and guide them through the wild, chaotic landscape of their emotions.
Overall, the song seems to be both a celebration and a warning about the power of intense romantic attraction. While the singer revels in their passion and the feeling of being swept up in something bigger than themselves, they also acknowledge the potentially dangerous consequences of becoming too entangled in someone else's life. The imagery of drowning and expiring "by the throat" suggest that the singer understands the risks involved in pursuing a relationship that is both thrilling and unstable.
Line by Line Meaning
I could bet all the riches that I ever had
I'm so sure of my love for you that I could wager everything I possess
Rushing the night like a shark, babe
With passion and ferocity, I race towards you like a predatory animal in the darkness of night
Would it be bad?
Is it wrong to feel so strongly for someone like you?
If I had to set the alarm
I'm willing to inconvenience myself for you and get up early just to have more time with you
'Cause those thrills that run up my back
The excitement you bring me sends shivers down my spine
You are my star
You are the guiding light that brightens my world and makes everything clear
Nothing else can lead me off track
I'm completely focused on you and nothing can distract me from my love for you
Hey, yeah
An exclamation of excitement and joy
You're like a wildfire
You are intense, passionate, and all-consuming like a raging fire
You got me rising high
You make me feel elated and exuberant
You're innocence, who's brave?
Your naivety and purity are paradoxically matched with a bold and daring spirit
Drowning in, would you save me?
I'm overwhelmed and sometimes feel helpless in my love for you, but I trust that you'll be there to support me
It's a crime if you don't
It would be unjust and immoral if you withhold your love from me
You'll expire, by the throat
I won't be able to survive or breathe without your love and affection
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: AARON FOULDS, ERIK BODIN, FREDRIK WALLIN, HAKAN WIRENSTRAND, YUKIMI NAGANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dariaivan
[Verse: Yukimi Nagano]
I could bet all of the riches that I ever had
Rushing the night like a shark, babe, would it be bad?
If I had to set the alarm 'cause of the thrills that run up my back
You are my star, nothing else can lead me off track
[Chorus: Yukimi Nagano & SBTRKT]
Hey-yeah, you're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
Your innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime, if you don't
You'll expire by the throat
[Verse: Yukimi Nagano]
I could bet all the riches that I ever had
Rushing the night like a shark, babe, would it be bad?
[Chorus: Yukimi Nagano & SBTRKT]
Hey-yeah, you're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
Your innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime, if you don't
You'll expire by the throat
Your innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime, if you don't
You'll expire by the throat
Hey-yeah, you're like a wildfire
You got me rising high
Your innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime, if you don't
You'll expire by the throat
Your innocence, who's brave?
Drowning in, would you save me?
It's a crime, if you don't
You'll expire by the throa
@nicolehughes5344
Whoβs still listening in 2024 π₯π₯π₯
@jadendaly3650
Me
@anarchitectedepassage3759
And me...
@sugedollaz371
Me too!
@natedogg0811
Yessah
@sharmine1747
Yeaaaahhhhβ€
@Jade_jemma
Iβm 34 now and if I remember rightly I think I was 22/23 years old when I first heard this, was a banger back then and still is now. Wish music like this was still made. The bloody nostalgia on this makes me wana cry being carefree having a simple life haha π’
@AsapWave
This beat was ahead of its time π₯.
@r6blaze
I've been racking my brain, what song originally used this beat?
@anamarieanderson6551
Khan drake sang this song b4