On his album “Zushi”, singer and song producer Dean Blunt titles some of his songs as the number they fall on in the track list, and this one happens to be number 9. “9” was released on March 27th, 2020 and features singer Panda Bear who sings all throughout the song. Panda Bear (Noah Benjamin Lennox) is an American singer and songwriter and a co-founding member of the band “Animal Collective”. “9”is Dean Blunt’s 2nd most streamed song, followed by “100” which you most likely have heard both somewhere on apps TikTok or Instagram. Even though in “9” his vocals aren’t included at all, just Panda Bear’s.
This song portrays the meaning of having so much emotional weight and feeling hopeless at times when the lyrics say, “Sit and watch it burn” which shows a sense of giving up. As the lyrics unfold it emphasizes the unpredictability, feeling so upset with past experiences that you just want everything to end up okay, and to have a fresh start. It introduces the theme of almost giving up on everything and watching self destruction take place without even attempting to stop it. It creates a very emotional song as it starts off with giving up and then wanting to find a new and fresh beginning. It explores the feeling of self destruction and feeling like you should give up based on the lyrics and sad tone. This song is 5 years old but it is very popular on all music platforms and social media as it is still relevant. I know many teenagers who enjoy this song, its listeners are more of teens due to the emotional feel that can be relatable as they experience life. Some people on TikTok like to mix this song, especially the beginning of it, with trap or rap songs which sound silly once you hear the whole length of “9” on its own.
“9” is definitely an interesting song but it is far from bad. The rhythm of it and Panda Bear’s voice go really well together but as it gives a sort of old-timey voice, but not as deep as Dean Blunt’s voice. The emotional meaning is enticing to listen to and it feels very real and relatable, which is what Dean was going for, I’m assuming. I give this song 4 out of 5 stars since I would’ve liked to have heard Dean’s voice included in it as well, but besides that aspect everything was perfect especially the lyrics and metaphors. If you like Dean Blunt or Panda Bear, or even both, I recommend The American Dawn, which is a band with similar lyrics that can compare to Dean’s. I hope this review helped you and I hope you take a look at “9” or even any other of Dean Blunt and Panda Bear’s songs!