Paper Cuts
by Dave

Album: Single release only (2019)
Charted: 15
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Paper Cuts" finds Dave delving into drill for the first time. UK drill rose to prominence in South London in the mid-2010s and is noted for its graphic lyrical content. The genre borrows heavily from drill music, which is a style of hip-hop with trap beats that originated in Chicago.
  • Dave originally teased "Paper Cuts" on his Instagram back in April 2019. The preview garnered huge interest as his fans had never heard him exploring drill before. The south London star eventually released the track on November 7, 2019, shortly before he embarked on an US tour.
  • Dave's hard-hitting bars include more of his trademark football metaphors.

    Take a man out like Ramos
    Still can't dead this beef


    The rapper compares the way he deals with his rivals to how the Spanish defender Sergio Ramos "takes out" opposing forwards.
  • The punishing drill beat was produced by Ghosty, one of the central architects of the sound. His other productions include Digga D's "No Diet," one of the first drill tracks to reach the UK Top 20.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Country Song Titles

Country Song TitlesFact or Fiction

Country songs with titles so bizarre they can't possibly be real... or can they?

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.