Image credit for feature image: TokSik Lyric Video
By the way, I am sorry for not doing these in the order that they released – I was TOO EXCITED about Dystopia when I heard it. My bad. ;)
Okay so fair warning, the video for this one is kinda gross. Don’t let that put you off the song, though – it is phenomenal and has been stuck in my head for the past three days straight.
I had been strapped for time and energy when the single released in August (2024), so I had previously only watched the video once before the other day and I thought the visuals had been done with claymation, but it’s actually done with puppets (misremembered on my part). There’s a lot of “vomit” and references to Word Vomit – which is an obvious jab at internet trolls and talking heads (and honestly, most people, including me – see this blog?).
The end has a lovely bit that I won’t spoil which made me love them even more. (Seriously, Starset is the best band ever.)
Hey Dustin, I see you and the runner on Red News that says “-esident announces his intention to seek a third term.” I’ll be keeping this in mind for the next four years. Are you psychic? haha, no I know, you’re just basically a genius. Lots of your fans want to read every thought you have. Please never stop writing!
But, once infected by a lizard person, patient zero spreads the TokSik word vomit virus to the world.
The video adds a lot to the entire idea of the song and deserves a watch, but I want to get into my impression of the song itself, just music and lyrics, before I talk about the video any further.
Okay, to the lyrics! My favorite part of this song.
Something in the sky’s been burning
Something in the water’s churning
It’s time to bite your tongue and run and hide
(The end’s arrived)
They don’t want your body (they’re coming for your mind)
They’re taking everybody (eating them alive)
They’re not zombies, they’re toxified
(The hills have eyes)
It’s funny that in the first verse, Dustin is telling us to STFU and I’m sitting here writing an article.
But basically, I believe he’s describing the work that is being done to brainwash people. The reference to The Hills Have Eyes (not linking here, because I hate that movie) is honestly a bit scary, but gives dimension to what he’s saying. They are being distorted, or they are adopting an unnatural (“mutated”) believe system that changes almost everything about them. Not exactly like zombies in popular movies, but living “zombies” like the ones in the movie referenced.
(And here comes Adam abusing those drums <3)
It’s coming to ruin everything
Coming from you and onto me
Spreading ’til it’s on everything
Everything
Almost every word in the verse above has its own drum hit. I mean, I’m not a drummer, but it sounds/feels like hit isn’t even the right word, it’s more like a slam.
And then the chorus comes in, with Dustin’s voice just sailing, waving like a big red flag to get our attention.
It’s radioactive (radioactive)
Living in a world of crazy
It’s overreactive (overreactive)
Growing like a plague you can’t see
And there’s a meltdown coming (a meltdown coming)
The whole thing’s turning (the whole thing’s turning)
Narcissistic (narcissistic)
Everyone’s sick
TokSik
Words are repeated in a heavily distorted echo for emphasis, reminiscent of an Army cadence.
My absolute favorite part of the song is the bridge though – as with many, many songs. But this one is special because of its topical jabs.
Then he raps:
Zoomers and boomers and fascists and groomers
And commie consumers and lions and tigers and bears (oh my, oh my)
Dunning and Kruger are your real abusers
‘Cause you are a product and I say it’s buyer beware (hands over eyes)
I think that they have you so afraid
You say what they think, you don’t really think what they say (keep them at bay)
Killed off religion and made up a new one
Where no one can question at all if it’s ever your fault
Ayy, what’s that called? I can’t recall
Oh yeah, you’re in a cult.
That deserves a line-by-line analysis! (NOT SORRY)
Zoomers and boomers and fascists and groomers – clearly the names we are hurling at each other
And commie consumers and lions and tigers and bears (oh my, oh my) – commie consumers is another way we insult each other (I believe), and the lions, tigers, and bears are all of the spectacles we are shown on mainstream media to distract us. (You don’t know me, but it’s an effective tactic to catch small animals like lizards; wave around your left hand to get its attention and grab it with your right. I was a tomboy that grew up in FL. I had a terrarium full of lizards I caught when I was a kid. Anyways!)
Dunning and Kruger are your real abusers – I am still surprised when I find out people haven’t heard of the Dunning Kruger effect.
‘Cause you are a product and I say it’s buyer beware (hands over eyes) – basically any app we use that is offered for free is selling our information. Most of us know this, but also don’t understand the implications of this, so we ignore it.
I think that they have you so afraid
You say what they think, you don’t really think what they say (keep them at bay) – I think these lines are talking about how a lot of right wing people will outright agree with whatever Fox News or OAN says, but when actually pressed, they don’t like whatever the topic was. There are so many videos where Jordan Klepper does this exact thing. Honestly, left leaning people do as well (maybe not to the same extent), so it applies to both.
Killed off religion and made up a new one – people have been praying to Trump at the dinner table
Where no one can question at all if it’s ever your fault
Ayy, what’s that called? I can’t recall
Oh yeah, you’re in a cult – this might now be my favorite string of words ever published in a song. I can feel his frustration.
So much of the way Dustin sings this song is like slam after slam after slam of “wake up you effing idiots” – and I can understand his frustration. I am not pretending to be any better than the people he is pointing out, either, because I am also an imperfect human.
Back to the video real quick.
I honestly feel kinda bad for the innocent farmer at the beginning of the video; the first victim of word vomit.
The “regular people” in the video see a commercial for Word Vomit cereal – “part of a complete breakfast” and they buy it and eat it, then turn toxic.
Then the news anchors turn out to be puppets, and then the trolls just take over and pandemonium ensues.
The “real threat” is then revealed to the people and the world literally explodes.
We could be living in that video. Especially now because there are accelerationists in control.
If I could hand out GRAMMYs, you guys would have to buy a storage unit for the multitudes you so clearly deserve.
And that, my friends, is TokSik.
<3
Some other thoughts about their music generally
I’ve been wrestling with what “exact” genre they are (it’s my metal roots).
Today I made a new chillpaint video for a piece I completed the other day, and while I was searching through NoCopyRight Sounds for which song to use, I came across a new genre that I hadn’t heard of before: Electronic Rock, which had similarities to how their music sounds.
So I think Starset actually might be Electronic Metal (which, I don’t know if there are any other Electronic Metal bands or if I’m just pulling stuff out of my a**), but I amend my previous statement on them being “just” metal or melodic metal. They use so many different sounds to get across their message, it’s hard to honestly pinpoint some of it (even with my what-I-consider discerning ears). TokSik has a lot of these electronic elements (credit to genius Cory), but honestly is more instrument heavy than the other songs, I think.
Anyways, thanks for reading my rambling analysis!
GO SEE THEM IF YOU CAN, THEY ARE AMAZING!