A tender and sweet electrofolk upheaval, slimdan’s debut single “MVP” seamlessly blends folk, pop, and electronic music into an honest and vulnerable unveiling of the self.
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A tender and sweet electrofolk upheaval, slimdan’s debut single is an evocative introduction full of heart, charm, and vision. Serene and seductive, “MVP” seamlessly blends folk, pop, and electronic music into an honest and vulnerable unveiling of the self.
It’s lonely out here
In the outfield
So easy to get lost
They don’t pay attention when
You’re warming benches
It’s just you and all your thoughts
And questions lead to questions lead to answers
that escape me on the run from where I’m going
To where I’ve been and
Nothing leads to something holding backwards
words are missing from my mouth
I keep it closed
When I know that
Released on September 29, 2021 via Communion, “MVP” is an exciting first look at Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Danny Silberstein’s artistry. With co-writes and collaborations with artists from Sasha Sloan and Terrell Hines to VÉRITÉ, Alunageorge, Tobias Jesso Jr., A R I Z O N A, FRENSHIP, and many more, Silberstein has steadily established himself as a creative pop maker over the past few years.
“I’m just trying to be myself,” he told The Line of Best Fit upon his first song’s release. “I’m not trying to dominate the charts. I just want to write songs and work with other artists I love.”
Slimdan – inspired by his fourth grade screen name, which he chose in tribute to Slim Shady after memorizing Eminem’s song “Mockingbird” – represents Silberstein’s stepping out into the spotlight with his own musical voice and an eclectic, alluring sound that transcends traditional genre bounds, compelling us to listen deeper from start to finish.
From the outset, “MVP” sets an intimate and confessional tone, with a dreamy guitar accompanying Silberstein’s vocal.
“It’s lonely out here in the outfield, so easy to get lost,” he sings. “They don’t pay attention when you’re warming benches, it’s just you and all your thoughts.” Steadily the fly-on-the-wall (the co-writer behind other artists’ songs) spreads its wings, longing to be the butterfly (playing his own music on center stage) that captures everyone’s eyes and ears. He owns this desire in a radiantly expressive chorus:
All I wanna hear is people say congratulations
You know you’re the man, you’re the MVP
And all I wanna hear about is oh my god you did it
You know you’re a champ, you’re the MVP
Everyone wants to be the hero of their own story, don’t they? In “MVP,” we hear slimdan admit his passion as he (quite literally) embarks on his own journey.
“’MVP’ is a song about trying,” he tells Atwood Magazine. “Sometimes trying can feel super uncool and really vulnerable, but as I get older I’m realizing it’s actually the coolest thing you can do. I made the record with some of my best buds Ryan Linvill and Noah Conrad, and accidentally stumbled into an EDM outro while we were high and copied and pasted the wrong thing. The ending of this song is my favorite thing I’ve ever made.”
Speaking to the lyrics and story behind the song, he explains, “One time in little league I got so panicked while I was pitching that I started crying and everyone had to stop the game to clap for me. I’ve been chasing that attention ever since.”
I don’t speak loudly
Don’t want it sounding
Like I’m something that I’m not
So, I never mention
My intentions
I just let the others talk
And questions lead to questions lead to answers
that escape me on the run from where I’m going
To where I’ve been and
Nothing leads to something holding backwards
words are missing from my mouth
I keep it closed
When I know that
A vivid outpouring of inner longing, “MVP” lights a fire within as slimdan comes into his own for the very first time.
Wondrous and warm, kaleidoscopic and gently ethereal, the song opens us up to ourselves and gives us the space – and permission – to seek things we might once have thought outside the realm of possibility for ourselves. Didn’t Aerosmith sing, “Dream on, dream until your dreams come true“? In “MVP,” we have the chance to put ourselves in a position of success defined by our drives, our goals, and our choices. It’s a chance to expand our frame of reference and start our stories fresh again, this time with us in the driver’s seat.
All I wanna hear is people say congratulations
You know you’re the man, you’re the MVP
And all I wanna hear about is oh my god you did it
You know you’re a champ, you’re the MVP
And I’m gon’ try my best to make my hometown proud
Voices in the crowd, so loud, all screaming for me
And I know that all I wanna hear is people say congratulations
You know you’re the man, you’re the MVP
Time will only tell where slimdan goes from here, but in “MVP” he’s come out swinging. Stay tuned for more from Danny Silberstein’s solo project in the months to come, and get your game on by streaming “MVP” below.
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Stream: “MVP” – slimdan
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