Producer of the title Guess Charli XCX and Billie Eilish‘s favorite golden boy of New York clubbers, The Dare has been on a meteoric rise since he resurrected 2000s rock by enhancing it with electroclash and dance-punk. But isn’t this resolutely cool brat actually a big imposter?
The album cover What’s Wrong with New York (2024) de The Dare.
The Dare, New York’s new bad boy
Table of Contents
- 1 The Dare, New York’s new bad boy
- 2 The meteoric rise of the new icon of the indie sleaze movement
- 3 Guess, The Dare’s collaboration with Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
- 4 What musical influences shape The Dare’s sound and style in the electroclash and dance-punk genres?
- 5 What factors contributed to The Dare’s rise as an icon in the indie sleaze movement?
Table of Contents
Some night owls exhibit Harrison Smith as the new essential figure of clubbing. Others, even more enthusiastic, praise him to the skies: the one nicknamed “The Dare” resurrects New York rock from the late 2000s. You’d think the guy would turn any small party into an ultra-trendy Manhattan party…
At 28, this Los Angeles native with a minimalist aesthetic has bet everything on the eternal black suit and tie, on irreverent verses, on a few interview sallies and on an angelic face of new face highly prized by fashion magazines.
One year after the release of The Sex EP (2023), the first album of four tracks with an evocative title, The Dare is today defending its first studio album: What’s Wrong with New York. Twenty-seven minutes of electroclash and dance-punk style LCD Soundsytem or Fisherspoonerwhose devastating new wave and synthpop flights had ruffled the feathers of the arty scene of the Big Apple. As a good golden boy, the musician is already making the crowds swoon.
But when the varnish flakes, what’s really left underneath? Not much, unfortunately. Because the transgressions of the one everyone is fighting over actually burst forth like salvos of blank bullets. His cool is fabricated from scratch and his record, conceived as a substitute for what was best fifteen years ago, appears as explosive as it is redundant. The effectiveness of a placebo.
You’re Invited (2024) de The Dare.
The meteoric rise of the new icon of the indie sleaze movement
After a brief stint under the pseudonym Turtleneckedwhich the Discogs website described in 2015 as “an indie rock with a zigzag structure and wacky lyricism,” Harrison Smith lands behind the decks at private partiesHedi Slimane. He immediately initials each page of the contract handed to him by Republic Records, the influential label of Drake, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj or Ariana Grande. Carried by the pieces Girls et Good Time, his prophetic 2023 EP unveils an evocative cover: two anonymous couples mime intercourse… while keeping their clothes on. Obscenity has its limits.
Because its squeaky electronic pop could just as easily debaucher aristocrats as it could feature on the soundtrack of a football video game. FIFA, The Dare has become the nostalgic reincarnation of indie sleaze: the 2010s party-going ethos whose icons remain Hedi Slimane, Kate Moss or Pete Doherty. Without knowing it, the producer has acted on the return of an era that we thought was over, the one where models with emaciated faces harangued the crowd from the podium of the most fashionable club of the moment… and we found it chic.
In his defense, Harrison Smith makes no secret of it: “Electroclash and dance-punk represent a lot of my personal ideals when it comes to music. It should be fun, dangerous, somewhat punk and primitive, but still tasteful and elegant.”
The piece Guess (2024) by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.
Guess, The Dare’s collaboration with Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
The Dare’s licentious remarks, declaimed in a nonchalant voice throughout his album, may have facilitated his meteoric rise: “I like girls who make love, but I love girls who like to fuck. […] Girls who fuck on the train. Girls who got so much hair on they ass, it clogs the drain…“Especially since it continued the trend of brat summer – aesthetic of the scruffy brat, recently popularized by the singer Charli XCX –, by producing the title Guess of the latter, in collaboration with the superstar Billie Eilish. He also makes a brief appearance in the clip directed by Aidan Zamir and released at the end of summer.
The Dare’s resolutely cool and ultra-cinematic music is, ultimately, not very erotic. His records offer pieces that one would think one had already heard, like Perfume or of Movement, excerpts from his first album. A beautiful recipe composed of effective refrains underlined by sticky bass. We obviously feel the influence of LCD Soundsystem in these ardent anthems, except that here, they were concocted exclusively to fuel the fervor of New York’s underground clubs.
“What I do is not that complicated, he recognizes. It’s all about energy. It’s about giving people permission to have a good time.”Already heard before or elsewhere, The Dare’s compositions exclude any experimentation in favor of what works.
What’s Wrong With New York? (2024) by The Dare, available.
What musical influences shape The Dare’s sound and style in the electroclash and dance-punk genres?
The Dare: The Meteoric Rise of New York’s New Bad Boy
In the midst of the revitalized electroclash and dance-punk scene, a new icon has emerged: The Dare, aka Harrison Patrick Smith. This 28-year-old Los Angeles native has taken the music world by storm with his nostalgic blend of 2000s rock, electroclash, and dance-punk, reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem and Fisherspooner. With his minimalist aesthetic, irreverent verses, and angelic face, The Dare has become the golden boy of New York clubbers, praised by some as the new essential figure of clubbing.
The Dare’s rise to fame began with the release of his four-track EP, The Sex EP, in 2023, which featured the provocative tracks “Girls” and “Good Time.” The EP’s evocative cover art, depicting two anonymous couples miming intercourse while keeping their clothes on, set the tone for his subsequent work. His music, a fusion of squeaky electronic pop and nostalgic electroclash, has captivated audiences and critics alike.
The Dare’s latest album, What’s Wrong with New York, has been hailed as a nostalgic reincarnation of indie sleaze, an ethos that dominated the 2010s party scene. His music has been praised for its fun, dangerous, and primitive qualities, while still maintaining a level of elegance [3[3[3[3[3[3[3[3]. The Dare’s meteoric rise has been facilitated by his collaborations with prominent artists, including Charli XCX and Billie Eilish, with whom he produced the
What factors contributed to The Dare’s rise as an icon in the indie sleaze movement?
The Dare: The Meteoric Rise of New York’s New Bad Boy
The Dare, the golden boy of New York clubbers, has been making waves in the music scene with his unique blend of electroclash and dance-punk. With his debut studio album “What’s Wrong with New York” released in 2024, The Dare has been hailed as the new icon of the indie sleaze movement. But behind the façade of his cool, irreverent persona, is The Dare just a manufactured image?
The Rise to Fame
The Dare, born Harrison Smith, started his music career under the pseudonym Turtlenecked, releasing an EP in 2015 that was described as “an indie rock with a zigzag structure and wacky lyricism” [[3]]. However, it was his transformation into The Dare that catapulted him to fame. With his minimalist aesthetic, eternal black suit and tie, and angelic face, The Dare has become a prized commodity in the fashion world.
Electroclash and Dance-Punk Revival
The Dare’s music is a nod to the early 2000s electroclash and dance-punk scene, reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem and Fisherspooner [[1]]. His sound is characterized by its synth-heavy, new wave-inspired beats and irreverent lyrics. The Dare’s music has been praised for its ability to transport listeners back to the heyday of New York clubbing.
Collaborations and Critical Acclaim
The Dare’s collaboration with Charli XCX and Billie Eilish on the single “Guess” has been met with critical acclaim. His debut studio album “What’s Wrong with New York” has also received praise from critics, with many hailing it as a return to form for the electroclash genre.
The Authenticity Question
Despite his meteoric rise to fame, some have questioned the authenticity of The Dare’s persona and music. Critics argue that his image is manufactured, and his music is more of a nostalgia trip than a genuine contribution to the electroclash genre. The Dare’s cool, irreverent persona has been accused of being fabricated from scratch, and his music has been criticized for being redundant and lacking in substance.
Conclusion
The Dare’s rise to fame is undeniable. With his unique blend of electroclash and dance-punk, he has captured the hearts of clubbers and critics alike. However, the question remains: is The Dare a genuine artist or a manufactured image? As his popularity continues to grow, only time will tell
