Breaking Down Daniel Caesar

Mekaael: Over the last few years R&B has become one of the most listened to genres of music globally, and an artist, in particular, has taken the industry by storm- Daniel Caesar. Caesar was born and raised in Ontario by a very religious family. His childhood was spent listening to gospel and soul music as his parents feared the effects and influence that would come with listening to other genres of music. Music had been a passion for Caesar since he was a child and would join his Church’s choir. As he grew older he wanted to go to the city and experience life for what it was, but his parents disapproved of his ideas, this lead to a big argument between Caesar and his Dad which lead to him getting kicked out of the house the weekend before his highschool graduation. At the age of 17, Daniel Caesar decided to kick off his music career and went to the city.

Daniel Caesar is one of the most gifted musicians in the industry and many people who listen to his music haven’t picked up on the meaning behind some of his best songs, so this is going to be an overview of the meaning behind Daniel Caesar’s hit singles ‘Japanese Denim’ and ‘Who Hurt You?’

Japanese Denim is a song about Daniel comparing a relationship with a pair of jeans. The premise of the song is Caesar falling in love with a girl and hopes that their love will last a lifetime, much like when you find a nice pair of jeans that can last forever. The title of the song is in direct correlation to the amount of effort it takes to make a nice pair of Japanese jeans. This is also in relation to Caesar’s dedication to the girl who this song is about, who may not have reciprocated feelings. The line “Goodbye sweet Rwanda” is directly about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide which resulted in over half a million deaths and some of those deaths were his family members. Towards the climax of the song, Caesar sings “You don’t even know me” which shows us that something big will happen soon due to his lover not feeling the same way he feels about her. Towards the end of the song Ceasar sings “I’m hanging from the tree” which shows he doesn’t care for his life and wants to end it as his lover doesn’t feel the same, therefore in a way his relationship and jeans both lasted him a ‘Lifetime.”

The meaning behind “Who Hurt You” by Daniel Caesar is Daniel speaking on how going on tour changed his perspective on women and the world around him. During the song, Caesar sings, “when it rains it pours” which refers back to his first tour and how he experienced many new things he never imagined himself doing or trying. In the first line of the song, Caesar mentions that he wants to go “Back to Georgia & back to Atlanta” to find a lady who he met at a club again, named Priscilla, in fact, Caesar was so love-struck by Precislla that he genuinely posted a craigslist ad trying to find her once more. The cover art for the single is a picture near the Atlantan club where Caesar ended up falling deeply in love with Priscilla.

Image: Pinterest/Cole Silberman