Papi (Dean Blunt song)
2013 promotional single by Dean Blunt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Papi" is a song by British musician Dean Blunt from his debut studio album, The Redeemer (2013). It was released to Blunt's SoundCloud account on January 29, 2013, as a promotional single for the album.[1] A soul-pop song, it samples "Echoes" by Pink Floyd.
| "Papi" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by Dean Blunt | |
| from the album The Redeemer | |
| Released | January 29, 2013 |
| Genre | Soul-pop |
| Length | 2:17 |
| Label |
|
| Songwriter | Dean Blunt |
| Producer | Dean Blunt |
Composition
Musically, "Papi" is a soul-pop song, built off a sampled section from "Echoes" by Pink Floyd.[2] Its production features strings and jazz piano.[3] Blunt sings in a baritone, and the song's lyrics are about the ups and downs of a relationship.[4][3] His opening lines address a person who "brings out the best of me", though he later hints at problems in his relationship, singing that "It's not about the things I did to you".[4] The song ends with a sample of a New Years countdown, starting from ten.[4][5] DMY compared it to the movie samples used in Blunt's 2012 mixtape The Narcissist II, writing that the countdown "pulls the plug on all the emotion and thoughtfulness – just as it was at its most charged."[4]
Critical reception
"Papi" received positive reviews from music critics. Pitchfork's Ruth Saxelby wrote that it "reveals a very different side of Blunt" by highlighting "the theatrical quality of his artistry" more than his previous work, calling it "a disarmingly raw song that stirs up a cacophony of emotion as its lonely refrain takes up residence in your brain."[6] Chris of Gorilla vs. Bear called it "[j]ust as bizarre and heartbreaking as Blunt's devastating 'The Narcissist,' though in very different ways."[7] The Quietus felt that the song's release "signals quite a shift away from the hazy sound of Hype Williams, finding his voice emerging to the fore with a far clearer and less stoned feel."[1] In his Obscure Sound blog, Mike Mineo praised Blunt's "excellent usage" of "Echoes", writing that it was "a nice way to dig into Blunt's new album".[2] DMY opined that the song "is over before you know it, but as is often the way in the world of Hype Williams, the lingering air of uncertainty is palpable."[4]