Toro y Moi's Chaz Bundick officially changed his name to Chaz Bear, and revealed that his upcoming fifth album Boo Boo (out on 7 July) was eventually inspired by the "attention to a feeling of space, or lack thereof" after indie stardom made him lose his bearings:
"After 7 years of touring and recording, I found myself becoming self conscious about my position in life as a “famous” person, or at least my version of whatever that is. My dreams had become my reality, yet I was somehow unable to accept this new environment. I couldn’t help but fall into what might be described as an identity crisis. A feedback loop of fearful thoughts left me feeling confused. I felt as though I no longer knew what it was that I actually wanted and needed in and out of life, and at times I felt unable to even tell what was real."
His press statement also included a helpful lists of definitions for the album title, which encompass several negative semantic meanings ... and "a person's boyfriend or girlfriend". The album's lead single, "Girl Like You" encompasses both sets of semantic meanings in a simple yet endearing manner. Bear is relatively transparent about his romantic insecurities ('But what's it gonna take for a guy like me to find a girl like you?'), but is ultimately hopeful that a connection with 'a girl who's loving is more than true' is imminent even in the spookiest of settings:
'Late night, cemeteryThink there's still a light outTemporary love in sight nowLove is scary baby look out'
Lyrics: Genius
The track serves as a logical extension of "Omaha", a stand-alone single he released this year. The delicate synths and minimalist production remain, but Bear has freed his mind from self-defeating melancholy and separation anxiety to entertain the possibility of summer love.
