FAVORITE NEW INDIE: SAINT JHN - SELFISH

New York rapper SAINt JHN gets real (self-serving) on "Selfish"!

Love is selfless, they say. Love is patient. Love is kind. These platitudes roll off the tongue like a French bordeaux, yet the reality of this kind of cosmic love is a tall order, indeed. It's questionable if it's even a good idea. We reserve one kind of love for our family members, another for our friends. Selfless, unconditional love can slip into familial affection so easily. We want to feel wanted, needed by our lovers. We want to be swept off of our feet, or do the sweeping.

New York rapper isn't afraid to tell it like it is on the new single "Selfish." He's not afraid to tell on himself, being selfish and wishing his lover was there next to him. He's not afraid to admit the obsessive feelings his lover raises in him.

"Something in the way you smile
Something in the way you touch me
Maybe it's the way you wrap your arms around
Makes me wanna lay you down, and tell you all the things we could be."

Unfortunately, it seems SAINt JHN's love itself is forbidden. These lovers are star-crossed, for some reason. SAINt JHN spends most of "Selfish" wishing they were both someone else, so they could be together.

SAINT JHN - SELFISH

For all of its mad, selfish, obsessiveness, "Selfish" comes across as quite pure. It's to his testament that SAINt JHN’s revealing lyrics never become creepy. He doesn't go all Pepe Le Pew. He doesn't even get angry. Instead, he sounds resigned and somewhat melancholy, as he bares his heart. So often, guys have to peel off a toxic layer around their hearts, which have become spastic in their captivity. Saint Jhn gives us hope for a brighter future of more emotionally evolved men.

Not too evolved, of course. We'd hate to drive the Bad Boys out of existence. On "Selfish," SAINt JHN reveals himself to be a Bad Boy with a heart of gold. We Are: The Guard give our approval, and advise other rappers to consider spilling their complex, contradictory emotions. Especially when it's over sick beats and smooth synths like these.

"Selfish" is the newest single off of SAINt JHN’s new full-length, Collection One, which has been lapping up exuberant praise in the few short weeks since it dropped. For those who've missed the wild, reckless hedonism of early The Weeknd, SAINt JHN is your new favorite artist.

J. Simpson occupies the intersection between criticism, creativity, and academia. Based out of Portland, Or., he is the author of Forestpunk, an online journal/brand studying the traces of horror, supernatural, and the occult through music, fashion and culture. He plays in the dreamfolk band Meta-Pinnacle with his partner Lily H. Valentine, with whom he also co-founded Bitstar Productions, a visual arts collective focused on elevating Pop Culture to High Art.