Love Island is a useful show for single folks in the same way that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a useful show for anyone running a bar: It’s more about how not to do things, with the devastating outcomes of the characters’ schemes providing the show’s source of entertainment. Tim Atlas draws on the influence of Love Island for his new single “Couple Up,” borrowing a phrase from the popular reality series to contrast the show’s superficial view of dating with a real-life ideal. “[Samir Jrade] and I wrote ‘Couple Up’ while deep into a Love Island binge, where ‘coupling up’ is dramatic and disposable,” he explains. “Releasing it right before Valentine’s Day feels right. It’s a love song in a sincere but fleeting space that tries not to take itself too seriously.”
The glowing alt-R&B cut lands ahead of the songwriter’s newly announced Reverso EP, set for release on May 8 via Nettwerk Music Group. The project’s six songs aim to channel Atlas’ experience leaving and then recently returning to his adopted hometown of LA a changed person. Check out the lyric video for the first taste of the release below.
