Melbourne-based hip hop artist Strictly D.T released his latest single, ‘Drift Away’, in November 2022. It’s a lithe, jazz-influenced hip hop number that charts a relationship gone wrong. The track features production from SpellSpellSpell and guest vocals from Cle Morgan.
The single has now gained an AI-generated lyric video, which accentuates the frustrated tension present in Strictly D.T’s lyrics. “…The one who I said would live as my wife / Became the kidnapper of freedom and life,” he raps at the close of the song’s second and final verse.
Strictly D.T – ‘Drift Away’
The video is made up of animated AI-generated paintings, which owe considerable debt to Pablo Picasso’s cubism period. AI responded to Strictly D.T’s lyrics, which flash in front of the artworks throughout the video.
“I knew that ‘Drift Away’ being a storytelling song would need some visuals to help paint the picture,” Strictly D.T said in a statement. “As I see more and more AI generated photos being made by people typing in keywords, I thought, ‘How cool would it be if I got AI to interpret the song?'”
‘Drift Away’ is Strictly D.T’s fourth single of 2022, following ‘My Life’, ‘Blood Type Real’ and ‘Where U From’. All four songs will appear on the artist’s debut album, Decial Like Special, which is expected on Friday, 17th February 2023. The album title is a nod to Strictly D.T’s given name, Decial Douglass.
Douglass was born in Seattle, Washington, and moved to Perth in 2005. He’s now based in Melbourne, where he’s the MC and host of the Halo Vocal Ensemble. As a solo artist, Strictly D.T has supported international acts Mos Def, Common and Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
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