Just another unexpected solo career announcement. German alternative rock band Tokio Hotel were a huge hit in their native country, racking up an impressive eight Top 10 hits and three number one albums, but unfortunately never experienced a successful crossover into the states. Was it the thick, black eyeliner? Either way, the lack of mainstream success does not mean great tracks such as "Monsoon", "World Behind My Wall" and "Love Who Loves You Back" weren't deserving of chart glory.
However, just when the band had released their greatest full body of work, 2014s King of Suburbia, frontman Bill Kaulitz has now somewhat surprisingly shared his debut solo single, the simplistic, R&B/pop-leaning "Love Don't Break Me". Released as the lead offering from his upcoming I'm Not OK extended play, the new track shares some striking similarities to the recent work of another former boy bander, Zayn Malik. With a smooth, lush vocal delivery supported by a midtempo, electronic backing beat, it's an intriguing artistic reinvention for BILLY.
"Love Don't Break Me" is an effort that proudly highlights its minimalist approach, in terms of construction and progression, maintaining the use of the same few chords throughout. Though confined to a lower register, Kaulitz does not showboat with those breathtaking notes we know he is capable of hitting, the vocal performance is still beautifully emotive, pulling in listeners with every single word. It's clear the artist is struggling how to deal with the balance of joy and pain that comes with the unpredictable feeling of love.
While the performance and production are stripped back, the songwriting is complex and filled with heart-wrenching, vivid imagery of love's sometimes cruel rollercoaster effect. "Some said that time will heal me, I need to get to higher ground, but I wanna feel it, let the pain come," the artist sings just before the rousing chorus comes around. And while some devoted fans may miss the rock edge or electronic beats of previous Tokio Hotel releases, the new song represents vast growth for an artist on the scene for over a decade.
To coincide with the release of "Love Don't Break Me", BILLY shared its accompanying black-and-white visual. On the surface, the music video seemingly represents a relationship on life support, dealing with the tried and true heartbreak and betrayal. However, when digging just a bit deeper, the female alongside Kaulitz could be portraying the artist's more vulnerable side. Towards the end, the personality struggle concludes with the death of one, apparently leaving a stronger, possibly unsympathetic, character behind to cope
The new single and video are part of Kaulitz's solo EP out on May 20. The project doubles as larger art exhibition, which is to include a companion photobook. "I wanted to go in the studio and experiment with new sounds and not be creatively held back,” BILLY says. “I created an environment for myself where I had no pressure and was able to just try new things without worrying about sales, promotion or marketing plans and just focus on creating." Thoughts on "Love Don't Break Me"?
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