REVIEW & INTERVIEW: BOYWITHAHALO “DONTSAVEME”
A raw, sensitive vocal shimmers in between the minimalistic guitar strumming and DIY soundscape. The minute Boywithahalo started singing, we know “dontsaveme” is special. The song vocalizes the fear Boywithahalo had as an Asian American LGBTQ+ musician during the pandemic prior to Anti-Asian crime. From his personal experience to their honest, authentic performance, the beauty of “dontsaveme” comes from fully embracing one’s true self.
Boywithahalo spent the first half of his life in Tianjin, China, and the other half jumping from one apartment to another, dealing with various challenging living conditions in Texas. The blend of cultural influences in “dontsaveme” is subtle. The unique Dallas vibe was in perfect harmony with Beabadoobee-inspired songwriting.
The song was written in Boywithahalo’s childhood home when the lockdown and isolation have created disconnection and division between one another. “The first two lines of lyrics stated how I don't want to be burned out or dead before all this ended as well as being ridiculed due to my race and its apparent association with the virus,” said boywithahalo, “I wrote those lyrics in September of 2020, before the Anti-Asian hate crimes that increased exponentially in 2021. It’s scary how all of my fears became true.”
Without access to outside sources due to Chinese internet regulation, Boywithahalo spent most of his time discovering new artists on Spotify. Isolation has gifted him the time of contemplation and reflection. Prior to the pandemics, like the majority of artists, Boywithahalo was aiming to make the next hit song or make it to the top 40. However, the discovery of Asian songwriters Powfu and beabadoobee fundamentally changed his approach to music. Boywithahalo had an epiphany.
“They (Powfu and Beabadoobee) are of my own generation, delicately handling their own separate crafts with style and grace, and it really made me reconsider my position as a musician and what I stood for,” Boywithahalo commented on the transition from their role as music producer and composer to a singer-songwriter, “then there came this overwhelming emotional urge to start singing my own songs. It’s like second nature. I was meant to stumble upon this result all along.”
With an Akai Mini, gifted from a special friend when they couldn’t afford a keyboard and a cheap practice guitar off TaoBao, Boywithahalo began his DIY music-making journey. “help” was his debut single revolving around mental health themes that came out in February. In contrast to “dontsaveme,” “help” was about mental exhaustion and calling for help in despair.
Being exposed to both Chinese and American political, cultural environments, Boywithahalo has learned to appreciate the different approaches due to unique cultural, historical circumstances. “Many seem to treat foreign countries and politics like sports or fights, which causes this us vs. them mentality to surface when it doesn't need to. Superiority complexes as well, I believe, over China (which is synonymous with "Asia" to some) also create these situations,” said Boywithahalo. He advocates equality, love, and connection instead of propaganda.
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