Written by Jennifer Moglia
As of January 12th, 2021, Toledo, Ohio emo favorites Citizen have finally put out new music! Their highly-anticipated new single “I Want to Kill You” serves as fans’ first glimpse into their new era, kicking off with the release of “Life in Your Glass World” on March 26th, 2021, their fourth full-length.
Citizen is probably most known for their first record, 2013’s “Youth”, considered a staple in the alternative genre with classics like “Sleep” and “The Night I Drove Alone.” Their discography also includes the “Young States” EP from 2011, 2015’s sophomore effort “Everyone is Going to Heaven”, their most recent LP, 2017’s “As You Please”, and, their most recent release, the 2019 single “Big Mouth.”
“I Want to Kill You” is a jam-packed three minutes, opening with an isolated drum beat before a catchy guitar riff joins in. Vocalist Mat Kerekes has very obviously grown as a musician and performer since the band’s first few releases, and even since their more recent ones; he balances aggressive, almost shouted lines with silky-smooth ones to create a unique vocal style that works extremely well.
This fusion of vocal deliveries is introduced in the chorus, where Kerekes switches from attacking each phrase with high tenacity to just letting the notes slip out, almost with ease. The instrumentation sounds like something out of a movie, but I can’t quite decide if it’d be a villain’s theme or a road trip song in a coming-of-age indie film.
Lyrically, this track seems to be about staying the course even when you don’t want to, but not in an inspirational or motivational way; the phrases Kerekes sings are exasperated, especially towards the end of the first verse, “I’m only alive when I need to be / I’ll keep on digging up my lost cause...The things that make you happy / They are not enough for me.” This point is further emphasized in the high-energy chorus, proclaiming, “I’ll keep it coming if you want some more / I’ll keep on running but it gets so tiring / And when there is nothing left to write down / Oh, will you come running when I get too tired?”
This combination of ominous lyrics/title and a danceable instrumental is something that pop-punk emo fans will be familiar with, but Citizen’s execution of it is super special. If you weren’t a fan of them before, you’re sure to be at least counting the days until their next LP by now.
“I Want to Kill You” is available to stream wherever you listen to music, along with a music video as well. You can support Citizen by following them on Twitter @CitizenMi and picking up some merch on their online store, including pre-order items, bundles, and even a subscription service for their new album.
“Life in Your Glass World” is due out on March 26th, 2021, and although live shows probably won’t be happening yet by then, it’s sure to be a great day for music. Make sure you don’t miss our full review of the record by following us on Twitter @lgndsoftmrw!