On October 17, avante-garde pop singer Caroline Polachek debuted her new single, “Dang” with a tantalizing performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Polachek released the single to coincide with the vinyl and physical release of her album, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You; following numerous delays.
Very different from any of her previous releases, “Dang” is a theatrical whirlwind of sounds, including an iconic sample of Polachek screaming and mimicking geese in a park in 2020. The backing beat can only be described as abrasive, yet soupy like a humid day in summer.
The nonchalant repetition of the word “dang” is sung throughout the single while. The song also features samples of Polachek mumble-singing nonsensical phrases that really set the contrasting atmosphere in the song. Phrases such as, “It’s a shame, yeah/ It’s a shame I spilled the milk on the bed” and “Maybe it’s forever, maybe it’s just shampoo” litter the song, but are all rounded out with the repeated lyric, “dang.”
The live performance on The Late Show depicts Polachek as a lecturer, providing information on a projector behind her. Included in her presentation were slides of things such as an apology on the iPhone Notes app, stating, “This is just to say I have eaten the grapes that were in the fridge and which you were probably saving for snack. Forgive me, they were delectable, so sweet and so cold.”
The campy performance on The Late Show was a great way to add visuals alongside the song without providing a full music video. Polachek provided a great live performance to return to.
