With his brand new single “Bad Dream” out today on Capitol Records, Los Angeles’ Jutes continues to expand his own limits, stripping away the pop-punk energy of past songs to slide effortlessly into the role of hopeless trap-pop romantic.
Illustrating the pain of knowing that heartbreak is just around the corner, Jutes slings rhymes with both grit and grief: “Why you always got me playing cat and mouse / Fill my cup when I’m filling up with doubt.” “Bad Dream” is an age-old tale of unrequited love, drenched in a hyper-modern slurry of woozy beats. “Thought I heard you say you didn’t love me,” he sings, “Or maybe I’m just living in a really bad dream.” It’s a heartfelt ballad disguised as a banger, slowly building off a poignant riff enhanced by the steely production of longtime collaborator Tarro (whose recent credits include the Tinashe and 6LACK “Touch & Go” remix).
The singer-producer duo have been a powerful match. Tarro has worked on some of Jutes’ highest streaming tracks, including emo-rap grooves “Too Easy” and “Devil.” “Bad Dream” is the first track they’ve worked on together since Jutes signed to Capitol Records in 2019.
The new song is part of a natural evolution for Jutes, who has always followed his heart—no matter how far it’s led him astray in love. But that intuitive mindset and resolute determination are exactly what lifted the songwriter up from a small town in Ontario, Canada. Young Jutes grew up an only child on a 300-acre farm, soaking up the sounds of Red Hot Chili Peppers, OutKast, and Ludacris, and trying his hand at basketball, then film school, then, finally, music.
Now settled in Los Angeles, Jutes is continuing to refine his sound, an emotionally intense fusion of hip-hop, alternative rock, and pop. In the process, he’s gotten the attention of outlets like AltPress, Apple Music’s Beats1, and Flaunt Magazine, and a number of high-profile spots on Spotify’s prestigious New Music Friday playlist. “Bad Dream” is just one stop on a stream of new music from Jutes in 2020, as he gears up to release even more soon. Stay tuned!