dexter's "Pressure" Is a Hypnotic Ode to Self-Growth

Sometimes, discomfort is alleviated when it’s simply acknowledged, and dexter’s latest single “Pressure” is granted permission to be liberated from our own self-imprisonment.

Moody yet charming, this track gifts solace to the lonesome souls in desperate search of an exhale. Being young is a never-ending loop of finding and losing yourself, and dexter encapsulates the melancholic sunshine of this coming-of-age journey perfectly. It’s tiring to think you’re doing it alone, and lines like “it’s been so lonely in the dark” paint the isolation quite vividly.

Co-written and produced by RISC, “Pressure” evokes that signature UK alt-pop sound that artists like PinkPantheress have slowly edged into our scene. Its aroma is soft and light, though its lyrics unwind a much deeper story. From acne-driven self-hatred to her distinct love of sandwiches, dexter has found a particular magic in being personable through honesty. She actively admits to when she feels performative online, never letting the fourth wall between her and her audience grow too thick.

In actuality, though, that performance is what drives us closer to cultivating an understanding of who we actually are. Lines like “gonna be somebody else” capture the exhaustion that comes from searching for yourself through wearing cloaks of forced identities, but as “Pressure” makes obvious, it’s the most lost versions of us that tend to be most human.

Watch the "Pressure" video below: