This Denver Musician Is Translating Trauma With Lady Gaga-Level Bangers

Pop music has always been labeled as too plastic or saccharine by its critics, those who think authenticity can only be translated through raw punk rock, bellowing metal bands or 1960s hippie-folk musicians. And sure, a lot of pop music is simply meant to make people feel good with a dancey reprieve. But from David Bowie and Madonna to Lady Gaga, pop has also been held up by purveyors who proliferate honest and relatable stories on otherwise taboo topics. And when those topics are juxtaposed with irresistible beats, they somehow become easier for listeners to accept.

Denver has its own pop sensation who isn't afraid to embalm his trauma in song. N3ptune, who won a Best of Denver award in 2023 for Best Breakout Artist, is finally back with new music after his successful 2021 debut, RENAISSANCE, and 2023's follow-up album RENAISSANCE (THE REVIVAL), which left fans begging for more. The enigmatic artist, who is known for his jaw-dropping live performances, poignant lyricism and multifaceted sound, gave us exactly what we needed: "WMD," a new single that's heartbreaking lyrically but brimming with power in sonics.

Although it was released on Valentine's Day, "WMD" is hardly romantic. "In true 'me' fashion," N3ptune says with a laugh, "I had to release it on that day because it's the complete opposite."

Those who've had the misfortune to be in a toxic relationship will immediately grasp the song's narrative. Survivors of abuse often return to their partners multiple times before finally leaving, trapped in a web of psychological distortion. With his mellifluous cadence, N3ptune sings about missing red flags while swirling in a destructive cycle with a narcissist, which bleeds into toxicity toward himself. "Using my love as your weapon, as your weapon / Abusing your power / During demon hours / I heard the sirens / I should've listened," he sings.
The accompanying music video further illustrates the song's meaning. "In the world of the video, it's dealing with toxicity inside and toxicity outside," N3ptune says.

In the video, filmed at the Eisenhower Chapel in Denver, N3ptune is seen walking down the aisle, makeup smeared as he approaches a groom while singing the first verse. After a brief look of fear, he struts back to the pews and begins to strip himself of the wedding dress, directing lyrics of painful realization toward the groom, who maintains a steely gaze and is frozen in place. "Spinning that block / Pulling up when I / Start to heal / Please stop / Dragging this out / Making me think you / Feel something real."

N3ptune dashes from the church with confidence, only to attempt to run back inside. He's blocked by two people in hazmat suits and gas masks, and writhes on the steps outside under the evening sky before the video fades out. All of a sudden, it's night, and N3ptune is slowly limping from the church to a black car; the hazmat men let him inside before driving away. Cans strung up to the grill softly jingle.
"Everything, I mean everything, from the song down to the video, is autobiographical," N3ptune says. "There's not leaving much for the imagination. It's probably my most literal video to date. It's only slightly exaggerated — a creative expression of what happened, what I experienced for all of my twenties."

That's not to say he was actually kidnapped by men in hazmat suits: "They are a representation of the powers that be. They represent the government, they represent capitalism, they represent the outside world. They represent, for me, America. ... They are a representation of the toxicity I experienced, but also an extension of the toxicity that is myself," he explains, adding that this "is not the last time you'll see them" in his material.

Although the song is bursting with energy and raw authenticity, N3ptune says it doesn't necessarily feel as powerful to him as it does to others. "I hope that's what it feels like, because it sure don't feel like that to me," he laughs. "It may feel powerful because the video came at the same time. Maybe because of the bridge, saying, 'Please don't talk to me.'

"But the repetitive nature of pop music is also symbology in itself," he adds, noting that the dynamic nature of the backing beat supplements the "power" felt in a song whose lyrics are about crumbling under abuse.

"The lyrics themselves come from a very defeated place," he says. "I think it's easier to showcase it more in a powerful lens now, but I think that song is so fucking sad."
N3ptune knew from the beginning that he wanted to shoot the video in a church. He was raised Baptist, and gospel music is a clear influence. "I don't even wear dresses, and I'm literally wearing a wedding dress with forty-inch hair and a body suit that's assless underneath," he says. "I've never been dressed in no church like that in my life!" For him, it helped to underscore the "defiance" of his oeuvre. "It definitely plays a huge role," he says of the church. "For example, there's a biblical reference in the song: 'Lost his armor / I gave him mine.' That's what happened with Jonathan and David. And it's a classic debate about, Were they gay? Were they infatuated with each other?"

N3ptune had been holding onto this song for a while, having written it in 2023. "I've been trying to put this out, but the stars just weren't aligning," he says. "Something was always happening. And then it was the perfect time."

It's somewhat a continuation of RENAISSANCE, the Club Kid-evoking album in which N3ptune continuously bucks at authority. And as he shows with "WMD," which is teasing an upcoming album, he is far from done. N3ptune's next performance will be at No Man's Land Film Festival on March 7, but he's looking further.

"I am in that mode," he says. "I have some plans this year." Those plans go beyond his own career; he wants to build the Denver music scene even further.

"We need to kick some more doors down; Denver is playing it way too safe," he concludes. "And I want to be part of kicking some fuckin' doors down."

"WMD" is available on all streaming services. Follow N3ptune to keep up to date on new releases. N3ptune, 6:15 p.m. Friday, March 7, Holiday Theater, 2644 West 32nd Avenue. Find tickets and more information at nomanslandfestival.org.