Marking Devilpalooza's return from last year's socially distanced format, Sun Devils will gather on the Sun Devil Fitness Complex fields on March 26 to see the Australian alternative trio Chase Atlantic.
The group's songs are frequently used in the background of social media edits. As their style has changed over the years, one thing has stayed consistent — their intensity. Their sound occupies a blurred area between R&B, punk and pop with dramatic production.
The group got its start in 2013, after Mitchel Cave and Christian Anthony left the boyband What About Tonight to make music with Mitchel's older brother, Clinton Cave. They formed a project group, K.I.D.S., before adopting the Chase Atlantic moniker the next year. They currently release music independently.
Here are their top five songs according to Spotify, where they boast nearly 11 million monthly listeners.
1. "Swim"
"Swim" comes off the band's eponymous debut LP from 2017. The lyrics and production exemplify the core attributes of their music, loaded with innuendo, beat drops, and Mitchel Cave's unique, high-pitched voice. This song embodies the essence of the band's music style. "Swim" also owes a portion of its popularity to TikTok, where a slowed version of the song went viral.
2. "Friends"
"Friends" was Chase Atlantic's first taste of virality, becoming a popular source for Tumblr edits, stemming from its angsty lyricism. The song was released in 2015 on "Nostalgia," the band's second EP. It lacks the upfront intensity of the trio’s later work, rather opting for a more rock-heavy sound, reminiscent of something from The Neighbourhood. It's softer, more emotional.
3. "Into It"
"Into It" finds its home in Chase Atlantic's debut album, serving as its lead song. The song employs a beat that seems to draw from jazz as much as R&B. Where "Friends'" lyrics emphasize the brokenheartedness of losing a relationship and infidelity, "Into It" veers lyrically into the territory of fame and lack of restraint. While it also touches upon the troubles of touring and fame, it also introduces the materialistic, hedonistic side of success, a theme that continues into the next two songs on the list.
4. "Slow Down"
"Slow Down" is also commonly used for fan edits, as it employs a dramatic instrumental opening, again adding a nice contrast to Mitchel Cave's calmer vocals. The gritty lyrics reference alcohol and drug use by a romantic entanglement, continuing with the motif presented in "Into It." The song is featured on 2016's "Paradise EP."
5. "OHMAMI"
This single is the most recent entry on the list, released in 2021. It's noticeably different from the other songs on this list, playing the hedonism angle up a notch beyond "Into It," namedropping specific luxury brands and flexing material wealth. It also differs drastically in terms of production; it has a far more electronic sound than their other releases.
Reach the reporter at srkrish5@asu.edu and follow @shradhakrish on Twitter.
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