bad suns' newest single "i'm not having any fun" takes a fun stance on relationships
By Sophia Denison
Following their 2019 album Mystic Truth, Bad Suns released the single “I’m Not Having Any Fun” in late April 2020. Vocalist and guitarist Christo Bowman explained in an interview that the inspiration for the track sprouted in the spring of 2018 amidst the creation of the album. He went on to explain that the band “...decided to hang onto this one for later, as it didn’t quite match the tone of the rest of the album, and I’m glad we did because now feels like the right time for it to have its day in the sun, even if that sunlight’s just coming through the window.”
Along with a collective sense of relatability to its title and chorus lyrics “I’m not having any fun,” as most are being told to shelter-in-place amid the worldwide pandemic, the song also addresses navigating love in the digital age. Struggling to handle online relationships in whatever capacity is another origin of widespread relatability, making it extremely easy for nearly everyone to connect to this song in their own way. These lyrical baselines could have easily turned this song into a dispiriting tune, but Bad Suns pushed this boundary and instead turned the discussion of these heavy subjects into an upbeat, get-up-and-dance-type jam, something that was arguably much-needed.
Prior to the single, Bad Suns already established a hefty following of 1.4 million monthly Spotify listeners and had played sold-out headlining shows spanning the entire globe. Band members Christo Bowman (vocals/guitar), Gavin Bennett (bass), Miles Morris (drums) and Ray Libby (guitar) started making music together in 2012 and since then have completed three full-length records: Language & Perspective (2014), Disappear Here (2016), and Mystic Truth (2019). Their plethora of material defined their now well-known dream-pop with indie rock-influenced sound.
Not deviating from this mixed genre with “I’m Not Having Any Fun,” the tone of the track was exactly what could be expected from a Bad Suns single. A singular drum beat of intro plunges right into the first verse with the enthusiastic lyrics “Angie screams via machines.” Immediately, the listener is introduced to the main character and prospective love interest, Angie. The song continues to humorously compose the failing love story of the two and the cheery tone suggests that he isn’t terribly upset over the relationship gone awry.
Lyrical and harmonic motifs also sweep across this 3-minute song. In the first verse, “I left her roses, she left me / Subtle as gunfire, sharper than barbed wire” is sung not with angst, but with a more teasing fashion. Later in the chorus, comparisons to gunfire reappear with the lyrics “Every voice is like a loaded gun / Shots fired then the words get spun like a web / I'm not havin' any fun.” Here, Bowman’s signature doubled-up vocal harmonies also resurface, bringing fans back to home base.
I appreciate this single's deviation from the overall sound of Mystic Truth, but there wasn’t much that could be characterized as unexpected with this release. Despite this, the song was released at a perfectly fitting time addressing very relevant, relatable, and topical issues in a lighthearted manner — something there is a particular lack of these days. Also, with the overall shortage of new music being produced recently, it was an exciting release that was able to brighten listeners’ days with an optimistic beat that’s hard not to at least groove to.