The new single, “what it means to lose”, by oxyzine is not just a song-it is the voice of protest cloaked in tunes, suffering, and commitment. The song is recorded in the intimate setting of their grandmother closet, and the result is intimate but explosive, like it is a scream that was suppressed too long and finally has let out.
It is not slick pop. It is rough, desperate, emotion splashed. Its production is chaotic- glitchy vibes, a lot of distortion, and the feeling of impending doom that can be compared to the same feeling that immigrants especially being deported or those in constant dread face. The rhythm is grinding like an engine that cannot be stopped, and the vocals of Oxyzine substitute between almost screams and small begging tones. It is not always easy to listen to- nor is it intended to be.
The concept of losing is lyrically placed against the injustice of deportation and the silence of people spectating it. Oxyzine is inspired by their history(they have bloody history between indigenous South Americans and Spanish colonizing team) This is a history which spills into the present giving rise to a message of anger, loss and desperation about a future which continues to allude.
Oxyzine is not bound by the genre laws in this case, a fact that contributes to the successfulness of the song. You get the impression that it is punk, electronic, noise, hip-hop in an avalanche of the throw it in a blender, and then it is shattered. The outcome is something that does not want to be ignored.
“what it means to lose” is not a protest song that you would sing at a rally- it is not the sort of protest that you put on the billboard with the slogan but something tighter in your chest and harder to push away. It is art of defiance. It is mourning in music. And it is also a reminder that music can still make people face themselves, upset, and call to action.
