Cardiff-based artist, DONT MAKE THIS WEIRD, explores themes of queer love, lust, and heartbreak through emotionally charged torch songs and infectious pop hits. Garnering support from Spotify and BBC Radio, the artist’s second single from the upcoming debut LP, “WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT,” narrates a joyous escape through London’s queer clubs to evade heartbreak.
Collaborating with DARKWAH, a London queer scene icon, the song combines a propulsive beat and a powerful chorus. The accompanying video, directed by DONT MAKE THIS WEIRD himself, features the Cardiff Lions, Wales’ inclusive rugby club, symbolising the defiance of toxic masculinity and the metaphor of heartbreak’s brutal nature. “I grew up in Wales, where rugby is the national sport,” says the singer. “At school, I hated having to play and the toxic masculinity that surrounded it. To reclaim, subvert and queer that history, I filmed with the Lions, transposing the gay club to the rugby pitch. The game’s bloody brutality felt like the perfect metaphor for heartbreak.”
About the song, the singer says: “The song was inspired by a time when I was hounded by intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and insomnia. The only way I could find presence was to lose myself in loud music. Making the album, I got excited about the alchemy of pop music. I had been sad and made sad songs, but I wanted to try making something that contained what I needed inside it — the energy to move.”
The video premiered at Cardiff’s Mary’s, the official sponsor of the Lions club. Watch the video below.
Follow @dontmakethisweird_ on Instagram to keep up with upcoming releases and shows. Stream his latest single “WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT” here.
Cover photo by @jordaneisbjerg.
