Most musicians today focus on lyrics above production value and musical content. However, American singer-songwriter Two Feet is emphasizing the importance of instrumentals on his debut album, Pink.
Known mainly for his smash hit “Go F**k Yourself,” which took the internet by storm, Two Feet uses music not only as a means of self-expression but as a means for survival. He hasn’t stopped creating after finding himself in a dark place. He slipped into emotional instability and spent ten days in a psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. After he returned home from the hospital, he threw himself into his work.
Time spent writing, recording and finding new ways to share his message led Two Feet to a new sound. He shared, “I always would post acoustic videos of me playing guitar and singing on social media, but I never made songs like that. I decided to make two stripped-down songs for the record. The juxtaposition of those light and dark moments make Pink even more impactful to me.”
This juxtaposition is clear on Pink, which is filled with sounds that blend dreamy and dark feelings. This contrast creates a bold new kind of sound, for the project and for music in general. The feeling that Pink creates is like the musical manifestation of waking up in the middle of the night and staring into the darkness.
The “Intro” track is boldly electronic and inky, and a popular single. “Pink,” a single off of the project, is perfectly blended into its surrounding songs. The single “BBY” is heavy on electric guitar, but can still serve as a quality dance track. “Call Me, I Still Love You” is dramatic and instrumental. “You?” is a popular and frustrated song that uses synths and whooping calls to paint a Bond film-like picture.
Electronic, “44 Lies” is almost whispered and reads like a person making it clear that will not be taken for a fool. A less electronic heavy song, “Lost The Game” has bluesy tones, despite being a rock song about the end of a relationship. A single that quickly climbed through the charts, “Grey” is filled with gasp-sounding percussional flares and deep vocals about someone leaving a relationship.
The album’s dark sounds have a great deal of clarity on the track all about not being enough “Maria,” which Two Feet recorded and added to the project at the very last minute.” Two Feet’s focus on the album’s storytelling through music, and not radio-worthy songs is expressly clear on “Felt like playing guitar and not singing part 2,” a song filled with nothing but guitar and pulsing snyth. “I Can’t Relate” leans on the heartbreak that is tucked away on much of the album, and fills the song with wounded lyrics about not understanding the reasons for a breakup, and with little but simple background percussion and simple guitar.
Again, lacking the showmanship and electronics of the other songs, “We Will Be Alright” is surprisingly sweet and simple – just love and single guitar. Finishing Pink, “Pink Reprise” uses echoey vocals and guitar to conclude the album without lyrics.
Each song serves a separate purpose, but works in tandem with the others. A story of love and failed healing is expertly told on the 13-track album.
While the album revolves around dating in your twenties, it appears that so much of Two Feet’s work is centered around love. Love for himself, and the way he is allowing himself to grow. Love for his craft, with the clear passion and storytelling that he masterfully weaves throughout each project. Love for others who are less fortunate, as he has teamed up with Plus1.org to donate $1 per ticket purchased to the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association, which is close to his heart due to his sister’s diagnosis with transverse myelitis. Love of his fans, sharing, “I’d love for listeners to approach every day not having to think, ‘Ah, I f**ked up today’…I go through it too. I’m trying to share something honest and real with them.” This expression of love is exceptionally clear with the title of the instrumental track “Call Me I Still Love You.”
In terms of touring, Two Feet shared how important it is to him, saying, “I got on stage and simply spoke about how I was feeling. In front of thousands of people, I was very honest with everyone. Everybody stopped talking and listened. I thanked them deeply for being there, because the experience truly did make me feel better. I communicated with them like they were my closest friends.”
With over 1.5 billion streams to his name, expectations remained high for Two Feet, and he surpassed all of them. Two Feet’s debut album “Pink” is dark and sultry.
You can stream “Pink” everywhere now.
