Deb Never and Kenny Beats Pay Homage to Steve Austin in "Stone Cold"

image

Photo: Jenn Kang

Some would argue that the closest we have to modern-day Shakespeare is the WWE. Those some would be right. After all, where else can Stone Cold Steve Austin being hit by a car turn into a Holmesian style whodunit with numerous unexpected twists and red herrings? It is a love for theatrics and larger-than-life personalities that builds the foundation for Deb Never's and Kenny Beat's "Stone Cold."

READ: Discover Deb Never and the Infectious Melancholy of 'House on Wheels'

From Dominic Fike's "Phone Numbers" to the animated world of Denzel Curry's Unlocked, "Stone Cold" arrives in a long line of Kenny Beats - produced projects, and paints Deb Never as an artist who is undeniably up next. While most previous Kenny Beats-assisted affairs have been built around leftfield pop personality and booming hip-hop, "Stone Cold" retains Never's effortlessly cool flair.

Backed by a sauntering, ominous bassline, Never delivers a track that doubles as an homage to the infamous Stone Cold Steve Austin and an examination of toxic masculinity. "Stone Cold Steve Austin / Desperate for attention / He's slamming bodies left and right / Just to prove a point / That he's the strongest man alive / But a lonely boy," Never states in a characteristically nonchalant fashion.

"Stone Cold" also arrives alongside a video that adopts the theatrical approach of a backyard WWE show ripped straight from the attitude era of the late '90s and early '00s. With Never donning inflatable muscle arms à  la SpongeBob and Kenny Beats making for a grade-A announcer, we may just have an early contender for the best music video of 2020 on our hands.

Listen to "Stone Cold" below:

Related Articles

Dexter & the Moonrocks Announce Upcoming Album with Single, "It's A Lot"

Dexter & the Moonrocks Announce Upcoming Album with Single, "It's A Lot"

August 31, 2026 A sucker for beautiful vignettes, this one painted by James Tuffs, we spoke to the front man himself about his latest single.
Author: DJ Connor
Q Marsden Returns with the Kaleidescopic Project 'DO YOU SEE ME?' [Q&A]

Q Marsden Returns with the Kaleidescopic Project 'DO YOU SEE ME?' [Q&A]

August 26, 2026 In full emotional control, Q Marsden graces us again, bridging and building on a sound that always felt open and earnest, but now is precisely focused.
Author: DJ Connor
R&B
Discover the Elephant in the Room with Fai Laci [Q&A]

Discover the Elephant in the Room with Fai Laci [Q&A]

August 25, 2026 At times the right amount of optimism, others rhythm-driven fury, ending in rock n roll completionism, this album has it all.
Author: DJ Connor