This past weekend, Blood Orange (real name Dev Hynes) played a killer Coachella set. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist covered Neil Young and brought out Lil Yachty and Tei Shi, but despite the theatrics kept the show low-key and focused on the music, a rarity at the festival. He’ll play again next weekend, but Hynes is also keeping busy during the week interim.
Hynes visited The Late Late Show With James Corden Tuesday night, debuting two new songs, “Something To Do” and “Dark Handsome.” The former is a simple guitar and voice melody, a brief intro for “Dark Handsome,” the real star of the set. “Dark Handsome” is soulful and honest, as Hynes contemplates his identity.
The performance itself is also very cinematic. Hynes begins laying on a big square of Astroturf next to a Union Jack flag. When the song switches over to “Dark Handsome,” the lights go pink and Hynes puts down his guitar. He’s backed up by a quartet of background singers sitting behind him on park benches. The performance features no backing band, and the end of “Dark Handsome” features a rap solo coming from some mystery rapper piped through the speakers. It’s a little unsettling to hear a disembodied voice coming from the stage, but as with everything Hynes does with his music, it’s intentional and put toward some artistic purpose.
Watch Blood Orange’s performance of “Something To Do” and “Dark Handsome” above.
