Released: 2018
“Clout Cobain | Clout CO13A1N” by Denzel Curry is an emotionally potent critique of fame’s destructive power on the individual psyche, the artist’s struggle with mental health and self-harming thoughts, combined with an intense exploration of betrayal. The song chillingly encapsulates the toxicity of clout-chasing culture within the music industry and its damaging effects on the individual.
In the opening lines “I just wanna feel myself, you want me to kill myself,” Denzel expresses the duality of his struggle with depression, isolation and the pressure from society to maintain an image of success. By stating “you want me to kill myself,” he might be expressing a figurative interpretation of the audience’s desire for drama and glorification of artists’ struggles.
When Denzel spits “Suicidal doors, call it Kurt Cobain,” he’s referring to the doors on luxury vehicles like Lamborghinis that open upwards, rather than outwards, resembling the act of raising one’s arms to heaven in despair or resignation. He’s equating this to the life and death of artist Kurt Cobain, who tragically took his own life at the peak of his fame, a graphic metaphor for the heavy toll of success.
“SuWoo leather seats, like a bloody stain” – A deep pull from gang culture, “SuWoo” is a phrase used by Bloods gang members. The literal interpretation is Curry’s struggles with violence and gang culture that contrast starkly with the glamorous image of success that he is expected to project. Metaphorically, it further stresses the blood, sweat, and tears that go into maintaining his prominent position in the game.
When Denzel says, “I need hella bass, I need hella pain,” he’s expressing his need to feel something, anything, it’s a desperate cry to escape the numbness that can come with depression. The “bass” metaphorically stands for the thrill, the high of performing, while the “pain” represents real, raw emotion, serving to ground him in reality.
In the line, “People be thinkin’ that I won the lottery,” he confronts the common perception that fame and wealth solve all problems. But his reality is vastly different, full of paranoia and the constant fear of being betrayed by those he trusts.
Denzel’s lyric, “I’m feeling like Raichu ‘cause everything shocking to me,” refers to the popular Pokemon character, Raichu, which can generate powerful electrical charges. Here, the fame and the troubles it comes with are the “shocking” elements.
The song title “Clout Cobain” is a fusion of the modern slang term “clout,” referring to influence or power, and Kurt Cobain, the Nirvana frontman. In essence, Denzel is commenting on how the hunger for fame and recognition (clout) can lead to a tragic end — a fate similar to that of Cobain’s, serving as a critical stance against fame’s dehumanization and the resulting mental health struggles.
