Despite being pegged as the happiest times of the year, the holidays can really fucking suck. There’s insurmountable pressure unloaded onto loved ones to make everything perfect, and sometimes that’s the perfect storm to unleash repressed resentment. Singer-songwriter Dijon channels this severe energy into his latest single “Many Times,” transforming pain into a high-octane jam session that feels empowered and cathartic.
His delivery is rapid as he sings, “There you go again / Head low / Putting on a show again / It’s the holidays.” Dijon sets the scene some know all too well of loved ones selfishly indulging in irate drama. Dijon’s internal conflict is so potent, being drawn in with a weaponized smile. “Well strawberry, raspberry, candlelight, satellite, television, X-ray vision / What’s it gonna take for you to listen,” he spews frustratedly. His vocal urgency reminds me of an angry Justin Vernon, and oddly enough the track’s folky piano recall Bruce Hornsby (a collaborator and friend of Vernon’s). It’s awesome.
“Many Times” follows Dijon’s 2020 EP How Do You Feel About Getting Married, which drew comparisons to Frank Ocean. It was lush R&B, featuring glistening, glitchy production and sensual vocal manipulation amongst unhurried instrumentation. If Married was Dijon fully immersing himself in the raw embrace of intimacy, “Many Times” is the irritated release of wounds re-opened one too many times.
A press release about the track notes “Many Times” is the tonal and emotional direction that Dijon has set for his still-unannounced debut album. The song came together intensely, “written and recorded live over the course of a few manic weeks locked in tight confines in upstate New York with a close-knit group of collaborators and friends.” The track is accompanied by an experimental visual that makes the viewer feel like Dijon’s shadow. We’re in the room to witness a liberating jam with friends. As Dijon clarifies several times on the track, he might not want to talk about it—but he sure as hell can make a brilliant song about it.
Watch “Many Times” below.
