carolesdaughter and the Haunting Escapism of "please put me in a medically induced coma"
The idea of music as an escape is nothing new but rarely does it feel as raw and impassioned as it does in carolesdaughter's newest single, "please put me in a medically induced coma." The project of Thea Taylor, carolesdaughter has spent the last year crafting an intoxicating amalgamation of alternative, pop-punk leaning anthems and haunting, fairytale-like confessions, all of which reach a fever pitch in her latest outing.
"please put me in a medically induced coma" is not just one of my favorite song titles of the year but one of my favorite tracks to come out of the ongoing pop-punk resurgence. Capturing a pervasive malaise that seems to define much of Gen Z, "please put me in a medically induced coma" pulls no punches when it comes to tackling its difficult themes of depression, dysphoria, and simply wanting to escape it all by any means necessary. These weighty topics are paired with equally driving feats of alternative instrumentation and production, as carolesdaughters' confessional onslaught float atop a deluge of electric guitars.
"'please put me in a medically induced coma' was the anthem my friends and I would sing when I was in treatment. I wrote it when I was there, and we would just sing it all the time. It's one of my favorite songs to sing because of the lyrics. 'I can't hurt if I'm in a dream' is one of my favorite lines because it captures the feeling of needing an escape," shares carolesdaughter in a candid statement.
It's difficult not to get swept up in the impending sense of doom and desire to escape that is at the core of "please put me in a medically induced coma," which is why the ending comes as such a visceral shock to the senses. Reaching its inevitable conclusion, all the flair and flourishes fall away as our protagonist takes center stage to deliver one last heartbreaking confession before fading away.
Listen to "please put me in a medically induced coma" below:
