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Tame Impala has finally returned with the release of his new song, “Loser!” This new single is accompanied by the announcement of his upcoming album, Deadbeat, which is set to be released on October 17th. Despite the title of the song, Tame Impala is not a loser, but he definitely has something to say in this song!
Wrecked It
At its base, this song is about how the singer dealt with the end of his past relationships. He remarks about how he “tried to correct it,” but in reality, he “wrecked it.” His desire to feel closure at the end of this relationship led him to ruin any rapport he might still have had with his partner. As he says in the song, he is “trying to figure this whole mess out.” The end of this relationship has left him distraught to an extent, and the singer doesn’t know where to go from here.
One of my favorite parts of the lyricism in “Loser” is his recognition that this seems to be a pattern throughout his life. The singer thinks back to the past and realizes that this happens with every relationship he’s ever been in.
Aimless
The music video, in my opinion, captures the essence of this song perfectly. We see the singer, played by Djo (Joe Keery), aimlessly walking around after his partner leaves him. He goes through the motions of living without really being able to process his feelings. In a way, this is his form of grief.
I think that this works well because in the song, the singer very much seems lost in his intentions when trying to talk things out. He wants his partner back, but at the same time, it is almost like he can’t explain why he feels that way. That aimless pining is captured in its entirety in this video.
Still Revolutionary
When Tame Impala broke onto the scene, his music was considered to be revolutionary and an evolution for the psychedelic genre. Years later, and it still is. This song is widely innovative front he beats that are used to the distortions that are made to his voice. Each part sets a new standard for what good psychedelic music should sound like.
Both a Loser and a Deadbeat?
Thankfully, Tame Impala did not just give us a taste of his new music and leave us in the dark. He has already announced that his new album, Deadbeat, will be coming out later this year! In the meantime, his previous albums are widely considered to be some of the best albums of the 2010s, so be sure to go check them out!
