“Can’t Deny My Love” by Brandon Flowers, Thursday, November 28, 2024
The Killers was one of the biggest bands in the early ‘00s, especially in the UK, where their single “Mr. Brightside” holds the record for the longest single to chart on the UK Singles Chart at 260 non-consecutive weeks. The band is an example of a band that peaked early. While the band has been releasing consistent quality music after their whirlwind successful debut album Hot Fuss, no subsequent release came close to their first album. After releasing three records with The Killers between 2004 and 2008, lead singer Brandon Flowers released his debut solo record Flamingo in 2010. After the album promotion cycle for Flamingo, The Killers released their fourth album, Battle Born in 2012. The band released their fifth album five years later, during which Flowers released his second album, The Desired Effect.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD NOW? In rock ‘n’ roll history, a lead singer recording a solo project is often an omen of the band’s implosion. For the handsome Brandon Flowers, it’s hard to describe the differences between the solo and the band work without his band recording two solo albums. Often solo projects come from new collaborations or an overflow of ideas unable to be contained in the original project. Flowers’ solo work didn’t end The Killers. While some of Flowers’ singles from the two albums charted in the UK and Billboard’s Rock and Alternative charts, Flamingo also began a period when The Killers failed to have a top 10 hit in America. Of course, the ‘10s were difficult for rock artists. And despite what Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said of The Desired Effect when he called the album “the best straight-up pop album made by a rock star in recent memory,” Brandon Flowers was not a pop star in the 21st-century definition. Flamingo and The Desired Effect explore ‘80s aesthetics similar to The Killers’ discography. The lyrics in his solo works also tend to be more personal. With The Killers, Brandon often writes about partying, religion, and America. Those themes creep into Flowers’ solo work but the emphasis is more on family relationships.
THE EYES OF GOD ARE WATCHING SO THAT WE DON’T BREAK THE GOLDEN RULE. The first single from Brandon Flowers’ sophomore album, The Desired Effect, “Can’t Deny My Love” garnered the singer critical acclaim. The song solidifies Flowers’ ‘80s pop star sound. The scene in Billie Eilish’s Apple TV documentary film The World’s a Little Blurry featuring the teen star belting out “Can’t Deny My Love” in her messy room encapsulates the theatrical nature of the song. The lyrics of the song portray an emotional struggle, in which the narrator tries to deal with a partner’s detachment while insisting on the undeniability of their love. The song is littered with spiritual undertones and symbols of doubt and depletion, adding depth to the story of love under strain. The song’s music video is also theatrical, in the style of an ‘80s big-budget video. Drawing on Flowers’ love for the Old West and Americana themes, the video is set in a Western town and begins with the protagonist’s wife trying to convince her husband, played by Flowers, not to go out at night. The video borrows the plot of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown.” Like the short story, the protagonist of the video’s task is unclear--perhaps going on a hunch about spying on the townsfolk to find out who is a witch and ultimately finding out that much of the town--even his wife is part of it. However, also like the short story, the music video is ambiguous as to whether or not the fantastical events that the protagonist witnessed were real or merely part of a dream. “Can’t Deny My Love” is not a straightforward love song, but rather a lover in torment, fighting to hold onto a love that the speaker thinks is worth saving. The music video helps to undermine the “undeniability” that the listener instinctively knows is there due to certain phrases in the song. Perhaps an honest conversation would do them both well, but maybe, just maybe the relationship is too fragile for even that.
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