Divergent “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” video premiere
12 h
Newsdesk
Music News is proud to host the exclusive world premiere of “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” by Divergent.
From the beginning, Divergent vowed to live up to their name, exploring the unpaved, treacherous, and tantalizing roads of rock without a map, guided instead by an adoration for intricate sound and a deep respect for the genre. When they first stepped into the studio, they had no idea that their music would reach thousands of fans worldwide, or that they’d be itching to do it again as soon as possible. Now, that moment has arrived—Divergent’s first departure from the hard rock image they’ve chiseled over the last year and a half.
Taking a leap of faith 40 years in the making, teenage friends James Richards (guitar, keys, vocals), Mike McAlister (bass, vocals), and James’ brother Paul Richards (drums, vocals) reunited to reignite the creative drive long set aside for everyday life. Their debut record focused on channeling that determination and passion into fulfilling a lifelong dream. Writing and recording together after decades apart, they quickly found their footing, developing a collaborative, democratic process that allowed each member in the trio to sculpt their vision one song at a time. Having built a reputation for hitting the road with style and speed with blazing tracks like “Rev It Up” and “Runnin’ Free,” Divergent now sets sail into open waters, steering towards a shimmering, soul-soaked vibration redolent of the Motown era.
Doused in dreamy piano riffs, a full-bodied bassline, ultra-satisfying cymbal splashes, and a laid-back beat that sways like a paddle boat on the bay, “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” at first feels like a classic love song, ignited by passion and scorched with desire. From the moment he wakes to the moment his head hits the pillow, the narrator can think of nothing else, his soaring harmonies and moonstruck declarations landing like Cupid’s arrows into a haze of pure longing that engulfs him. But a closer listen reveals how those two little words, “want to” betray the distance between the desire and his reality. Though his feelings are all-consuming, nearly unbearable, he’s already sown the seeds of doubt. “I don’t know if you really see me…” he admits, and that hesitation lingers. Until he feels truly seen, deeply wanted, and fully understood in return, he holds back the dreams he so desperately longs to share.
Bolstered by Divergent’s engrossing, R&B-inspired melody, the accompanying “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” lyric video subtly amplifies the indomitable pull of this bittersweet romance. Brought to life in collaboration with HIP Video Production, its abstract, subdued aesthetic mirrors the track’s sense of total immersion, of drifting away in a current that can’t be stopped. Shimmers of light catch the eye at every turn, floating and flickering against the backdrop of the narrator’s heartfelt, at times heavy, confessions. Yet there’s never a moment where the darkness fully takes hold. Even when it feels like they’re thousands of miles apart, caught in “the separate lives they lead,” faint flickers of starlight peek through, suggesting his wish may still come true.
