Fresh off his release of Surburban Popstar last October, Rock hill, South Carolina’s Chris Buxton is back with new music to start the new year in the form of loose single “Dreams”. Buxton said the track was about coming to terms with a relationship that seems right, but the timing’s off. In addition, it appears Buxton cares for his significant other, but Buxton the person falls short in the relationship because of Buxton the artist’s drive of obtaining success in the music industry.
Produced by Onlyxne, Buxton sways back and fourth between rapping and singing (the newest trend in the industry) over a smooth, wavy instrumental to vividly paint the picture on the track. Still finding his distinct sound in the over saturated music industry, Buxton abandons his sound on his last EP Suburban Popstar, showcasing his versatility; opting to craft a catchy hook to pair with meaningful lyrics. Indeed, lyricism has been left by the waste side in the new, over saturated music industry, but not “Dreams”.
As I said before, Buxton’s poised to breakout nationally this year, having already obtained just under 1.3 million and just over 500,000 Spotify streams for loose singles “Remember” and “Mary,Lucy,I”, respectively. In fact, fellow media outlets MTV, Revolt, and DJ Booth, among others, have featured Buxton’s music on their respective sites.
In late 2017, fresh of the release of Suburban Popstar, Buxton most notably performed at SXSW and Breakaway Music Festival. While not on the same level yet, Buxton shared the stage for the latter with most notably: Blackbear, Zedd, MadeinTYO, and my fellow Cheltenham high school alum Lil Dicky. According to Buxton, a lot of music is on the horizon, with a new full release project in the works as well.
The track starts with the smooth, wavy instrumental simply playing for about the first five seconds before Buxton interjects.
“Aye, talking California; talking California,” Buxton said on the intro. “We can take a trip, take a ride on the west side, aye. We can take a trip, we can dream on the west side, west side.”
After what Buxton appears to be saying to his significant other on the track he has a realization, jumping into the catchy hook of the song to let us know what it is.
“Wait, California dreams turn to money, girl; I don’t even know y’all,” Buxton said on the hook. “Well, fell in love with love then I went to sleep; yeah, that’s when I lost y’all. Look, California dreams turn to money, girl; I don’t even know y’all. Look, I just want a girl who gone let me know I’m the one she wants, yeah.”
Filled with subtweetable lyrics, Buxton relates to me, a theme of his music, on the last line of the four-bar hook. Indeed, as a man, I, and all men, just want a girl who’s going to let us know we’re the one they want to be with. (Safe to say, I’m single. Plot Twist: Buxton is not). In context with the song, Buxton just wants a girl who’s going to let him know he, Buxton the person and Buxton the artist, is who she wants, and that she can keep up with the rapper lifestyle.
Now in the first verse, Buxton questions if his significant other on the track is attracted to love or money, while making it known he transformed her from a suburban girl to the city life, referring to the change as “new heights”. Buxton goes on to exclaim he’s the one to save her (better luck next time, captain save her), but she’s the type of girl that wants to get faded, have sex, and do “hoodrat shit” with her friends on the weekend.
Finally, before the hook reappears, Buxton says he just wants “to be the one” his significant other (don’t think there’s much of a relationship, at this point) stays with at the end of the night. Perhaps the smoothest and corniest bar all in one, Buxton blatantly asks his significant other to add him on her play list (If she doesn’t have you on her play list by now, she’s not the one).
“Can you put me on your play list, take my heart then replace it, yeah,” Buxton said on the first verse. “Woah, she go on shopping sprees. She knows there’s more to me, but I’m so selfish, see. She think ’bout more than me, she like to think ’bout weed. It might just be the weed ’cause now she over me, yeah.”
To see how Buxton and his significant other end up, play “Dreams” here.
Buxton is an artist to keep an eye on in 2018.
