"Dang" is a song by American songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, released on October 17, 2023 as the lead single from '' Desire, I Want to Turn Into You: Everasking Edition''. It was written and produced by Polachek with Danny L Harle and Cecile Believe.

Background and composition

"Dang" was written and produced by Polachek in collaboration with Danny L Harle and Cecile Believe. The single was recorded during the studio sessions for Polachek's second album under her own name, ''

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You ''Desire, I Want to Turn Into You'' is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, and second under her given name. It was released on February 14, 2023, by Sony Music, The Orchard, and Polachek's impri ...

'', released in February 2023. In spring 2023,

A. G. Cook Alexander Guy Cook (born 23 August 1990) is an English music producer, singer, songwriter and the head of the UK record label PC Music. Cook released his first solo singles in 2014. He has also collaborated with PC Music artists such as Hannah ...

dropped it into one of his DJ sets. Polachek officially started teasing the song in September of the same year. The track samples audio from a viral 2020 video of Polachek screaming at geese in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

. The single cover also references the video, with Polachek's right arm painted like a

mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...

. The hyperpop song features "metallic, lockstep beat that recalls early

Sophie Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess o ...

, ..nonsensical imagery, namechecking

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

and lamenting spilt milk", cascading violins, Polachek's

deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...

vocals and screams, and Danny L Harle's baby son Nico's giggle sampled from " Bunny Is a Rider".

Release

While a leaked version of "Dang" had been circulating online for months, Polachek officially debuted the track on October 17, 2023 in a live performance on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...

''. Polachek's performance of the single utilized a

slide show A slide show (slideshow) is a presentation of a series of still images (Presentation slide, slides) on a projection screen or electronic display device, typically in a prearranged sequence. The changes may be automatic and at regular intervals o ...

presentation and a chalkboard-inspired backdrop. A limited run of T-shirts featuring slides from the performance went on sale on Polachek's website, with 100% of profits donated to

UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...

to help

Palestinian refugees Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine, and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country over the course of the 1947–49 Palestine war (1948 Palestinian exodus) and the Six-Day War (1967 Palestinian exodu ...

Critical reception

Peyton Toups of '' Pitchfork'' characterized "Dang" as a "transfixing...mishmash of nonsensical imagery and surprise elements" and observed that the single marked a new stylistic direction for Polachek. Similarly noting the "harsher hyperpop" sound of the single, Alex Hudson of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' listed "Dang" as one of the publication's staff picks.

References

{{Caroline Polachek 2023 singles 2023 songs Caroline Polachek songs Songs written by Caroline Polachek Sony Music singles