Stream “Girl of My Dreams”
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Background and Role in the Album Concept
This song was legitimately written about a dream I had. I woke up with this odd feeling similar to longing and reminiscence; but you can’t long for someone who never existed and you can’t reminisce about a memory that never happened. It was that feeling I tried to capture in this song, which fit perfectly with the In/Stability theme of the elements of my life falling apart. This song represents the loss of my sense of reality.
Writing Process
As I said, I wanted to capture the feeling from the dream in the song. I went through the instrumentals on my computer, just to find something to write to. Coincidentally, I had one from Rawhide called “just a dream” so I started there.
I began by describing the girl:
“hair light brown, eyes striking blue”
Then the scenario:
“We shared a dorm room for some reason
Pushed the beds together even though it wasn’t a cold season”
And finally how I felt when the dream was over:
“When I woke without her, wanted to burst at the seams
Screaming, urgently recurring the themes”
The rest of the song teeters on the brink between dream and reality, debating if there is any way to fully escape the latter. After recording two verses and a hook, I knew the “just a dream” instrumental was a keeper, and it also made me think of another artist who had an entire album dedicated to dreams.
Finding the Right Guest
I reached out to the artist who made the “dream” album but they were touring and unable to get me a verse. Switching gears to Uprooted for a few months, the song remained in an unfinished state with no third verse. Then I saw Uprgrade was going to be doing a show in Albany. Thought I’d swing through and check on the homie. Upgrade was opening for an artist named Kosha Dillz, who was also touring with an artist by the name of Devmo.
When I first saw Devmo in the venue, I’ll admit I thought she was one of the rappers’ girlfriends. Even when she took the stage I thought she was just helping with soundcheck. Then she went into her first song and I was blown away. Her lyrics were extremely self-aware, her style was contemporary but also very original and it was delivered in this hypnotic voice that felt like it existed in that exact dimension between dream and reality. It was the voice I needed on my song.
After her set I bought her EP and we exchanged information. Soon after I emailed her the concept for “Girl of my Dreams” and she was super into it. I sent her what I had, including a freshly-altered version of the chorus that I worked her name into. When she sent me back her verse, I was sold by the second line: “Like the birds and the bees, one of them going extinct.” Fucking. Genius.
Rawhide Report
I know we talked at length about this track before, but for the purpose of this review I would be remiss if I didn’t shine a nice big spotlight on your guest on this song. Devmo absolutely kills it; her voice is just so unique and when she starts singing in that one little part I always get so happy and I’m always left wanting to hear more of that from her. I guess your verses are pretty dope too haha. I will blow a lot of smoke up your ass and give you a nice big shaft lick when I say that it was absolutely genius on your part to select her to be on this song. Having a female presence on the song really brings it to a whole new dimension and gives the content a completely different perspective that just would not have been there if it was just you or you had a male guest. Also the mixing job on this track in particular is phenomenal.