Review: "Mess Me Up Again" - Nick Babcock
- Galileah Sanchez
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
Rising Canadian-based pop artist, Nick Babcock candidly reflects on the raw, yet untold truths, behind complex breakups in his latest single “Mess Me Up Again.” Babcock’s original, symbolic, and heart-wrenching hit voices the internal and common unspoken reality embedded in the loss of romantic connection. The song’s narrative is fiercely driven by a confession-like structure, where the struggling and opposing duality between reason and emotion is impossible to escape. While the song’s main storyline focuses on heartbreak, its speaker is not characterized to be in a healed, apathetic state, nor a devastated, grief-stricken state. Instead, Babcock captures the essence of a person who is shaped by divided emotions. There is a unique union where desire versus logic is explored through the lens of someone who seems to be fully grounded in reality. The song’s title, cleverly crafted to be “Mess Me Up Again,” is a repeated key phrase throughout the entire tune that explicitly highlights the speaker’s challenge: “I should be tired of / Falling in love and then breaking up / You’d think by now I would've had enough / It’s hard to understand why / I wanna let you mess me up again.” The catchy main chorus perfectly communicates the intertwined ideas of transparent vulnerability, never-ending longing, and a pestering sense of frustration. In my eyes, the phrase “Mess me up again” embodies a desperate plea that lingers on the verge of emotionally-driven chaos.
There is an overwhelming, almost brutal honesty present in Babcock’s lyrics and sound. Because of this, you cannot help but feel the speaker’s personal experience as if it were one of your own. The layered storytelling evokes a bold and striking authenticity to be established and take center stage. This is a song that knows exactly what it is. It is a piece with a clear identity in its sound and message, and as it progresses, it thrives because of it. Babcock’s full artistic control in composition via vocal, instrumental, and to put it simply, in its overall creation as a work of art, is breathtaking. As a first time listener, I could instinctively perceive the intense care and detail in this song, and appreciate the meticulous nature it is founded on. I firmly believe Babcock’s emotionally-driven lyrics to be the standout feature of “Mess Me Up Again.” The introduction consists of clear and direct lyrics, allowing audiences to immediately understand the speaker’s narrative and his experience. To the speaker, mundane, ordinary, everyday life routines and habits suddenly hold an intensity to them. Silent tasks, such as drinking coffee, sitting at the dinner table, and leaving the house manifest themselves as extremely loud, becoming a reminder of absence.
Babcock’s sound is effective in its parallel to the speaker’s emotional state. There is a slow burning momentum throughout the tune that is haunting, but extremely memorable and beautifully designed. The steady, consistent track, echoed by controlled, sharp beats over time are subtly amplified and layered to their full potential. The stimulating soundscape is composed of high brassy notes, textured electronic synths, and airy stacked vocals that compliment Babcock’s charming and dreamy voice. Babcock’s strength as a musician stems from his effortless ability to express the release of emotional buildup: “Now I'm nauseous from the things you did / This broken heart, these stimulants / I’m taking just to get through everyday that you’ve been missing / With you not in these sheets it’s just / Harder and harder to sleep.” This specific verse successfully and astutely depicts a liberating wave of authenticity, where you can feel and hear the speaker’s raw and unfiltered thoughts. There is a special artistic choice made within the bounds of structure, speed, and dynamic intensity that showcases an outpour of feeling, while simultaneously, highlighting Babcock’s credibility as an artist. Babcock’s voice shifts from flowy to sharp, and delivers an almost rap-like performance heightened by quick moving lyrics. As a performer, Babcock does not hold back. His captivating voice rings with a dazzling energy that without a doubt, enchants audiences. There is an awe-inspiring intimacy and tenderness to Babcock’s sound that is rare, one of a kind, and will leave listeners wanting to cry and dance at the same time.
The Brampton Canadian-born and based artist, Nick Babcock, is a singer-songwriter known and embraced for his emotionally-charged pop music and strong versatile style. His songs vary in genre and style, shifting from modern pop, with hints of indie and alternative pop sprinkled throughout. Babcock’s connection to music stems from the age of 15, and has matured with time. His talent surpasses from solely being a performer, and has extended to the full composition of his songs. Babcock’s latest single “Mess Me Up Again,” not only explores vulnerability through its profound lyrics and intimate sound, but its creative process as well. The song’s lyrical and track production origin, was composed in his personal home and fully embodies raw honesty to a different level. Babcock’s consistency and respect for the craft has gradually built his sound to leave an emotional impact on listeners. As a listener, you can sense Babcock’s rigorous and in-depth attention towards his music. Every detail seems to have a purpose and meaningful effect to the overall product. As of now, Babcock has a total of 1,877 monthly listeners and several singles released. You can consider me a fan.
Written By Galileah Sanchez
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