New and fast-emerging UK band daydreamers continue to dazzle on “Don’t Delete My Number,” their most recent in a string of spectacular singles.
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Deleting someone’s number from your phone is a drastic act.
In today’s world of ubiquitous smartphones, it’s a big step toward removing someone from your life. As long as you have someone’s phone number, you have a way to contact them. And even if it’s been years since you’ve talked, there’s always the chance of reconnecting.
But without the connection that phone number brings, it can feel like the hope of getting back in touch is lost. “Don’t Delete My Number,” the newest single from emerging British alt-pop band daydreamers, depicts someone begging their crush to keep that hope alive. It’s a song full of emotional lyrics exploring the agony of a failed relationship without sacrificing the band’s penchant for infectious hooks and buoyant rhythms.
Daydreamers burst onto the UK music scene earlier this year with their debut single “Call Me Up,” a danceable, upbeat song about a budding romance. Their following has quickly grown to more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and close to half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. “Don’t Delete My Number” is the fourth single from daydreamers, and the band sees it as continuing the story they began in their first release.
“If ‘Call Me Up’ was the first date, ‘Don’t Delete My Number’ is when they end up ghosting you,” says Riley, the band’s lead singer. “The lyric ‘I still remember summer, but will we remember each other?’ sums the feeling of the song up – not being able to let go of the memories you’ve made with that one person.”
Daydreamers have been able to build a devoted and growing following with their savvy use of the internet and impressive live performances, including their recent set at the Reading and Leeds Festival.
“It’s built around playing live,” Riley says of the band’s focus. “We want to create a space where people are shouting back their feelings to us and we’re all connecting. Even though the emotions are intense and often overwhelming, we’re all optimistic in the moment because we’re together.”
And this idea of exploring intense emotions fits well with the band’s tendency to pair raw and honest lyrics with infectious melodies and a glossy, upbeat sound. “To me, daydreamers is ‘Sad Euphoria’,” Riley says. “The lyrics will tear your heart out, but the music is euphoric.”
From the very start of “Don’t Delete My Number,” there is the realization that the relationship isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t a song about two people who are deeply in love as much as it’s about not being able to stay away from someone, even if you know things between you aren’t working out. The vocals are joined by an acoustic guitar and piano as Riley sings the opening lines:
I’m in the mood for you
To come break my heart again
I can’t let you go,
With your face on my phone
And those eyes looking through me
Sometimes, you’ll get lonely
Sometimes, if that’s tonight,
Calm my mind
When the chorus hits, the vocals take on more of a pleading tone, and the full drum kit joins the arrangement, increasing the song’s intensity:
Don’t delete my number
Cos I still remember the summer
But will we remember each other?
So don’t delete my number
And if you ever wonder
I still remember the summer
But will we remember each other?
Th idea of summer love hinted at in the chorus is reminiscent of another standout among daydreamers’ early singles, “Beach House,” which is infused with summery images and a breezy, nostalgic sound.
The second verse of “Don’t Delete My Number” builds on the questions and reflections in the chorus by infusing a bit of optimism into the situation and calling into question whether the relationship is truly fated to end or not.
I still got for hope you to come
Change your mind again
Lost my head for a minute there
Now I’m here, it’s a little bit heavy
While the song’s instrumentation has an upbeat energy through most of its run time, the final chorus is much more downbeat and resigned. Maybe the singer has finally realized the futility of continuing to go back to something that isn’t working. Or maybe the exhaustion of the emotional roller coaster has set in.
But the song ends with a chorus of voices restating the song’s theme of not being able to get someone off your mind. “I can’t let you go/ I can’t let you go this time,” rings out on repeat, reminding us that while this song represents one phase of a relationship, it may not be the last. As long as your number is in their phone, there’s still hope.
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© Romarni Brytz
© Romarni Brytz
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