"Can't Wait to Be Dead" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Finneas Finneas Baird O'Connell (born July 30, 1997), known mononymously as Finneas ( stylized in all caps), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has written and produced music for various artists, most notably his sister, ...

. It was released by OYOY as a single on October 21, 2020. The song was written and produced by Finneas. It was lyrically inspired on how the internet and media were reacting during the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and the 2020 US presidential debate. The uptempo-based

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

song sees Finneas singing about the effects of racism and how he feels about the Internet. A music video for "Can't Wait to Be Dead" was produced by Constellation Jones and released on October 22, 2020.

Background

Finneas explained in a statement: "I'm happy for this song to mean anything to anyone who listens to it, but to me, it's a song about my relationship with the Internet. Especially in an election year. Especially during a pandemic. Sometimes, the internet makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me hopeful. But sometimes, it really makes me wanna be dead."

Composition and lyrics

"Can't Wait to Be Dead" features use of a

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

-based "intimate" acoustic guitar. The song is an uptempo-based

track. Lyrically, "Can't Wait to Be Dead" is about Finneas' view on how the Internet is acting during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

pandemic and 2020 presidential election, "Another sunburn with hair, it's too much fun not to stare/Somebody's calling you out for something you never said". He then sings about the racism in the U.S.: "Fuck your

Confederate flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

/You've got no reason to brag". Finneas repeats how the Internet is acting, "Nobody's coming to save me/Nobody knows any better anyway/I think we're thinking the same thing/If this is how it ends, I wasn't listening".

Reception

Nina Corcoran, writing for ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'', praised the track, saying it "packs plenty of energy without letting its message go stale". Writing for ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' magazine, Emily Tan said Finneas continues to "prove himself as a songwriter with the release of 'Can't Wait to Be Dead".

Music video

A music video for "Can't Wait to Be Dead" was released on October 22, 2020, and was produced by Constellation Jones. Finneas hinted of the music video during a livestream. Towards the end of the livestream, he explained the idea of the track's visual, saying, "When I write songs, I don't like to write a song that feels like it's only about one thing, even if it is, because I want every person that listens to it to be able to internalize it and have it translate it to whatever experience they're going through is. That being said, I think music videos are a fun way to articulate exactly what the song means to you. To me, this song is just about my relationship with the internet, so that's the premise of this video." The video shows Finneas scrolling through social media, with the shot sometimes showing his reflection. As he scrolls through the phone, it shows protests, the US election, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

{{authority control 2020 songs 2020 singles Finneas O'Connell songs Songs written by Finneas O'Connell Songs about the COVID-19 pandemic Songs about American politicians Songs about death Protest songs