A spacey electro-pop illumination stirs on “BAD DREAM,” the new single from Scottish artist and producer SHEARS. Fondly reminiscent of Robyn in its stylishly infectious aesthetic, “BAD DREAM” also allures in a lyrical prowess drawn from personal experience — confronting sexism within the music industry. “It’s about feeling stuck by other’s thoughts and ideas about you and feeling like you’re caught in a bad,” SHEARS says. “I get it – it’s the story we’ve been sold for so long, but I also don’t, as everyone should be able to see it’s incredibly outdated now.”
“BAD DREAM” releases alongside a striking animated video, created by designer Genevieve Ryan. The animation takes viewers on a journey through the mind in a moment of struggle, where someone feels trapped by their circumstances and consumed by negativity — until they break free from the illusion and emerge with strength and power, transformed into a queen.
Steady rhythms and a stutter-y synth complement a dreamy vocal captivation initially, asking “is this a bad dream?” as a more vibrant tonal shift arises. The mid-point — “you’re like a bad dream,” — enamors in its spacey synths and harmonious vocal layers, arriving thereafter into a thumping, contagious finale with soaring vocal enthrallment. “BAD DREAM” is a replay-inducing, highly danceable success from SHEARS — powerfully capturing a journey through struggle, illusion, and eventual self-accomplished catharsis.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
