Dev's "In The Dark:" Why This Song Sucks

[Editor's note: Why This Song Sucks determines why particular tracks blow using science. It appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday.]

Song: Dev's "In The Dark"

History: "In The Dark" is the is the second single from The Night The Sun Came Up. That's the debut album from electro-pop enthusiast Dev, who very well might be the world's best, most convincing Ke$ha impersonator. This is a terrible, egregious thing to be.

Dev2.jpg

Atmospherics: Predictable electro-something or other; sounds like what it feels like when a person tries very hard to be sexy; digitized libidos; can definitely snake its way into your hypothalamus if you're not careful.

Scientific Analysis: There are several reasons why this song is less than stellar, but its primary downfall is ambiguity.

The term "dancing in the dark" appears to be a metaphor for engaging in intercourse; that seems clear enough. The rest of the song though is a tad more confusing. A sample from the first proper verse:

Can you work on me? Open my body up and do some surgery/ Now that you've got me up, I want to taste it, taste it/ And see those pockets aces/ Wanna see who you are/ Got a sex drive that's push to start

Again, I suspect that these are allusions to sex. The last line seems to imply that, should you require sex immediately, she is THAT DUDE. The rest, however, are murky. And that is frustrating.

The first line seems to imply that the verse is about a doctor's appointment, but that doesn't hold up.

DevDoctorsAppointment.jpg
The context of a poker game doesn't quite work either.

DevCardGame.jpg
A first date, maybe?

Dev.jpg

So it's probably sex, then. But, wait, there's also this:


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2 comments
Gorgeous_blackman
Gorgeous_blackman

I agree with Kye's comment about the lyrics (although let's not overlook the fact that they're totally cliche even if they might have some low level of sense to them), but I think this song sucks for other reasons. It's very disjointed, like at least 4 different songs mashed into one, kind of like "Judas" by Lady Gaga. Also, this definitely imitates Ke$ha's brilliant strategy of making songs that don't require the singer to do any actual singing, just keep "rapping" (whatever they think that means)--which, in the case of Ke$sha and Dev, involves just repeating things "na-na-na"..."puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-push the start."   

Kye
Kye

isn't it funny when a person thinks something is too stupid for them, and it's really the exact opposite. I suggest you venture beyond missionary, maybe play a few hands of hold'em, and you might grasp the lyrics a little better. Hint: pocket aces are known as "the nuts" among players. Yes it's about sex (so original), yes the video is very derivative, doesn't mean it can't be good music.

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