We’re all thinking it, Yavin just had the gusto to say it: “Has anybody seen my energy? Where is all my motivation?” Under normal, “precedented” circumstances, the Boston artist adds his voice to the modern pop canon with songs about crushes and the complexities of modern dating. Yet something about zombie-walking through two years of a pandemic (month 22! Give it up for month 22!) has him focusing on more pressing matters. Specifically, feeling like he’s out of his damn mind.
With his new single “I Don’t Really Know What’s Going On.” (released last week, December 30), Yavin veers away from heartbreak and wanders into the WTF headspace we’ve been trapped in since March of 2020. “I Don’t Really Know What’s Going On.” digs into the agony of merely surviving, and not “thriving” — something artists feel pressured to provide proof of almost constantly on social media.
“Is it just me or would you say / That I’m terrible and no one really likes — WAIT,” he sings on the second verse, mimicking the self-deprecating thought pattern that fueled the song’s inspiration.
“Monotony during the pandemic is something that every person has experienced, but I think there’s something to be said about the way that that monotony specifically impacted artists,” Yavin shares. “For me, I had a lot of trouble staying creatively inspired during lockdown, so social media was the thing that kept me entertained. And as fun as social media can be, I’m a bit of a glutton for the punishment of comparing myself to other artists (particularly ones that did stay inspired), and that’s eventually how this song was born.”
Feeling inspired by a lack of inspiration? Yeah, that fits today’s befuddling, dystopian logic. Commiserate with Yavin below.