We had to recheck the names, the credits, the titles, and again, the names, the credits, the titles because we were convinced this was an entire band but lo and behold, this is all one Nik Lloyd. He might as well introduce himself as THE definition of “one-man-band”. And it doesn’t help that his stage names is Diives (stylized as D!!ves). Well, this musician, singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, publicist (feel free to insert all other remaining titles related to the music industry) released a record called Fit Right Out. This song feels like a hundred bucks forgotten in your back pocket and accidentally found again when you needed it the most! It vivaciously brings back the good times of 20 years ago when we were all singing All Star by Smash Mouth because Shrek made it pop. With stupidly catchy lyrics, highly melodic flow pattern, and an extremely singable hook, Fit Right Out is a unique piece of work rooted in a special tone of raw energy and genuine enthusiasm.
As soon as the track opens, you get those young adult vibes from the pop-rock sound that goes to inaugurate the expecting mood for Fit Right Out. And when you get to hear Nik’s voice, you just might find yourself smiling like an idiot 😀 Diives’s honesty is palpable and contagious. He sings with a vitality in his tone that perfectly matches the underlying message of the lyrics: “Mismatch of what once was ‘in’/ Bad batch of the nineties bloom/ Stick around take a good look in/ Any scene you could peg me to?” mercilessly making us Millenials realize we’re kind of… the past century. We can’t even say the past decade anymore 😀
Diives then expands on his outcast situation: “Don’t belong with the club-going kids/ Don’t belong with the bands in town/ There’s no chance I’ll identify with/ The preachy little p****s around” that cool voice surely has some things to say but not in vain, as the use of uncensored (censored on the track however) words makes a good ingredient for an intriguing purpose. So what happened? Who did he fit in with? Was he okay being alone? Is our hero sad or happy? Did he get over it? So many questions and so little time. We do get closure, as you’re about to find out, at the very ending. Diives is a smart storyteller.
After admitting to not being the type to say much, a bad case of social paranoia, and never having felt like part of the big, bad world, Nik belts the chorus with what we hear to be, a subtle touch of melancholy for the first time until now: “When it comes to yours/ I’m sorry but I fit right out/ And Yeah I’d love to/ but I’m sorry I just fit right out”. This sudden dip in mood is strangely entertaining as it shows our main character is not just a middle-finger-pointer, but an actually self-aware human being accepting of the fact that he simply doesn’t fit the mold. This depth of character reminds us it’s important to know who’s the villain but more importantly is to understand the WHYs behind it.
Also, Diives seems to have engaged in social distancing for longer than most of us, “Maybe took ‘Individual’ too literally when I was young/ Love my own space a bit too much/ […] / I just seem to forever distance myself from everything” Nik, you weren’t introverted, you were just ahead of your time! 😀
As promised, the needed closure comes at the very end, when you’ve already become hooked on the beautiful guitar, lively drums, and Nik’s friendly, warm voice: “Time to get myself away/ I’m not gonna grin and bare it/ You go with your own mates/ I’m sorry but I could never be like all them anyway/ It’s not in my DNA” So there you got it, he put up the deuces and walked away. As by Nik’s own admission: “I tried to put a comedic view on my struggle with social anxiety. Fit Right Out is a mixture of real events when I’ve felt uncomfortable. And it’s strange because when I get on stage to play music, I’m very upbeat and confident, but off-stage, it’s quite the opposite.”
Fit Right Out is a fine pop-rock record of novel credibility, gifting realistic and humane depth to the protagonist in question, thus making the listener invest himself emotionally in the song with every passing second.
Song Credits: Nicholas Paul Lloyd (Diives) – Writer, Engineer, Producer, Mixer
Make sure you add the very original Fit Right Out for a mood uplift, to your playlists on Deezer HERE, on Apple Music HERE, on Tidal HERE, on YouTube Music HERE, on Amazon Music HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 