Trap beats and alt-pop melodies mask a breaking heart.

 

XYLØ always seems to have a novel way of doing things. Whether it’s adding distinctive lead hooks into post-pop songs or turning romantic neglect into strength, XYLØ has a habit of taking convention and twisting it just enough to stand out. And the duo has done it again on new single I Still Wait For You.

This time, however, the twisted convention is very small and potentially jarring. Musically, the combination of atmospheric keys and trap-esque beats is nothing extraordinary. There is the occasional interjection of vocal modulation and it comes along with an impressive drop, but it doesn’t quite hit the same heights as the kick on LA Love Song.

So, what XYLØ does here is introduce expletives as a core component of the lyrics. Traditionally, songs like this would steer clear of swearing to maximise the chance of radio airplay, yet XYLØ opts instead to make the words ‘fuck’ and ‘fucking’ central to the song. And it works, strangely enough. While some might find it a bit off-putting or disruptive, the moderately generous helpings of swearing does wonders for the honesty of the track and turns an otherwise generic post-love song into an impactful one.