Dylan - 'Nineteen'
Lights go down, a soft synth melody grows in the background, the crowd full of teens and young adults roar as they know what’s about to happen. After over a year and a half of being deprived of live shows, the collective anticipation in the air is palpable. As ready as the audience thought they were, not even the infinite teases on TikTok could prepare them for the absolute banger that London newcomer DYLAN was about to play. As she announced the name of the song, her soft vocals accompanied by mellow guitar melodies prepare the mood for her new nostalgic single ‘Nineteen’.
The dreamy track is the ultimate expression of post-teen-pop full of thoughtful imagery. It automatically captures the imagination of the listener as the young artist takes them through a trip down memory lane to a very specific moment of her life; a time where she was allowed to be careless and free. As DYLAN explains, “‘Nineteen’ is a nostalgic song about youth, love and heartbreak. It’s just about being young, and the summer of [being] 19 was so superior to every other summer because I had no responsibilities, and no school, and no reason to be anywhere”.
Drawing inspiration from cinematic pop anthems from the 80/90s and borrowing iconic phrases such as “I remember it all too well” [which fans may be familiar with thanks to Taylor Swift], the pop powerhouse on the making certainly transmits her feelings while singing the new tune. Dylan makes us forget about everything going on for a second as she says “trust in me, I’ll hold you up, be the light inside your heart, help you dance within the dark” in the build-up to the explosive chorus. And whether you were one of the lucky ones who got to listen to the unreleased track in one of her shows supporting Yungblud at the Kentish Town Forum, or you – very much like me – somehow manage to encounter the artist on your TikTok FYP at least 8 times a day, there’s no denying the magnificently catchy chorus will never leave your brain.
With two really bright EPs already under her name and multiple live shows in the near horizons, DYLAN has certainly proven to be a force to be reckoned with and we can only wait to hear the surprises that her next project will definitely be loaded with.
Words by Nicole Otero