As the guitar strums, Dani sings her heart out letting the listener in on her pain concerning this former lover. “You think it’s a game boy.” There’s a certain contrast between the angsty lyrics and the somber sounding guitar that grants this song layers to the feelings that Dani is both feeling and conveying to us, the listeners. “Think it’s time to pay your debt.” Dani is making this former lover answer for his crimes by drawing a definitive line in the sand letting him know the game is over and, as Dani puts it, she’s won. The antagonist may have thought there was no more fight left, but the protagonist says she “swears to break” them at “their best”. So, in that moment where the antagonist thinks he’s accomplished ultimate victory, the protagonist was simply waiting on their cue to turn the tables and get the “pretty boy” once and for all.
The “ooh” at the beginning of the chorus is easy to sing along to. The second layer sees more angst in Dani’s voice to accompany the angst felt in the lyrics. In an official description of the song, it’s written ““Pretty Boy” is a dark, maniacal story about seeking revenge on someone who has hurt you. The protagonist is taking on the role of “vigilante” as they hunt down the boy who has wronged them. The twisted tale does not specify what he has done but focuses on the chaotic fury that has brewed in the protagonist.” The rhyming present in the song is not overdone but a great touch, it’s steady like footsteps, as if we’re joining the protagonist on the hunt and they’re keeping up with their target as they cause more chaos. "There's blood on my fingers, the deed has been done.” What an ending to such a haunting song, the protagonist relishes in their victory and the defeat of the “pretty boy”. This is certainly an important contrast as the beginning of the song saw the antagonist in their twisted element with blood on their fingers, so, the protagonist has switched the roles and gone from prey to predator. But, the final word, the final taunt, is the use of the word “pretty boy”. The protagonist wants the antagonist to feel and taste the defeat as they’re beaten at their own “game”.
Dani Black is described as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. The 20-year-old Canadian songstress is credited as being a prolific songwriter and also with writing 200 songs just this year. The fact that “Pretty Boy” is Black’s debut single surely attests to that. The song showcases her skill as a songwriter as well as vocalist. Black’s social media presence has racked up thousands of followers across the platforms. Dani is quoted as saying “ I want to connect with as many people as possible musically. That’s what’s important to me.” With a mindset like that and credits already under her belt ranging from having over 400 hours of onstage solo presence by the age of 15 years old to achieving Tik Tok virality with a 20 second song cover to having a show that sold out in less than 50 minutes, Black’s debut is sure to add to her growing list of accomplishments. Black’s music is best described as folk pop. Black remains one to watch, if you want to keep watching, follow her on all socials below!
Written By Keiunna Thompson
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