Dyl Dion Wrestles With Expectations in "Cirrostratus"
Bedroom pop artist dyl dion, born Dylan Cole Strevell, continues to carve a space for himself in the indie cultural zeitgeist with the release of his latest single, "cirrostratus." In the single, the Wilmington native struggles with not meeting the expectations of loved ones and the fear that they will leave them if they come to know his true self.
"cirrostratus" opens with a blend of upbeat kick drums and nostalgic, warm guitar riffs. dion's dreamy vocals weave in and out of the colorful, shoegaze-leaning production, painting a picture of vulnerability and internal conflict. While opening up about his dilemma, he sings, "I can't be the person you wanted me to be / But I could be me / All the things that were said never what they mean," further admitting that the person who has his heart can see right through him and how scared he is to be seen for who he really is.
As the track continues, dion fights with his insecurity and his need to know "if you were sure." The relatable pain of failing to measure up to someone else's standards, especially the fear that they can leave you just like that, oozes throughout the track, as dion ultimately comes to accept that he can't be the person someone else wants him to be and can only be himself.
The 18-year-old artist has aggregated over 40,000,000 streams, with just seven songs released in the last 18 months as an independent artist. Approaching his songwriting with a youthful curiosity, he possesses an uncanny knack for conveying a range of difficult feelings in a straightforward, unapologetic fashion. Simply put, all eyes are and should be on dyl dion.
Listen to "cirrostratus" below:
