Artist: Deneil
Title: Living For The Weekend
Length: 4:04
Genre: R&B/Hip-Hop/Experimental
Written By: D.Khan
Produced By: D.Khan
Label: Unsigned
From The EP: Deconstructed
"Living For The Weekend" is the debut single from British singer-songwriter/producer/rapper Deneil Khan, younger sibling of Billy Khan who is one fifth of highly successful pop boy band, Weekend. The track is taken from the seventeen year old's debut EP,
'Deconstructed' which is set for release at the end of the year. After signing to his elder sibling's label, Five Pesky Kids, earlier this year Deneil asked to be released from his contract last month in order to release his material independently and have total creative control over his music.
The track is not your typical radio-friendly pop song nor is it a straight up rap one that is aimed towards the more urban market. Instead, Deneil has carved a truly unique sound and whilst many will applaud him for pushing the boundaries and not following in the footsteps in many of his famous teenage counterparts, this sound may not exactly be easy on everyone's ears. Deneil has stated himself that people will find 'Living For The Weekend' as a definite grower and a complete 'oddball' of a track which doesn't fit in with the majority of tracks played on the radio today. The instrumentation of the song is surprisingly relaxed, taking on the form of a laid back, mid-tempo R&B joint which almost seems mesmerising and makes the listener suddenly feel lost within it's enticing, seductive beat. Deneil also draws on his multicultural background, taking influence from traditional music heard throughout central Asia and incorporating it into this song, giving it a lot more edge. As Deneil himself has connections to central Asia, it also gives 'Living For The Weekend' a much more personal stamp over it.
The verses throughout the song show off Deneil's rapping skills as he flows through them with great ease whilst manages to show off just how much power he has in his voice. Rather then faking an American accent, he allows his rather distinct English accent to come to the forefront which sounds rather aggressive as he flies through the verses with such power. Already, he sounds like nobody else around right now but the seventeen year old is only just starting out and experimenting so who knows what else he has in store? When it comes to the pre-chorus of the song, the aggressive tone and the 'harshness' of his voice settles down. He also slows down the pace and pronounces each word clearly and carefully so the listener picks up on everything he is saying. Also, being just seventeen years old gives Deneil's voice a rather youthful feel - not quite childlike but there are some signs that his voice will still develop a lot as time goes on. This makes the track a lot more interesting. Throughout the chorus and the breakdown of the song towards the end, he begins to half sing/half speak the lyrics which shows off yet another side to his vocals. Upon hearing this, people may think that Deneil cannot sing as he isn't exactly doing anything spectacular with his voice nor is he sugar coating with heavy production. It seems rather basic and almost like a halfhearted attempt which is actually the beauty of it. We can't be sure if Deneil has a wonderful set of pipes like Billy as we have yet to hear him actually 'sing' but it's safe to say that his voice is far more interesting than his elder brother's as it is extremely raw and edgy.
Lyrically, the song is about a guy who enjoys the partying lifestyle and is really popular within the nightlife circuits. He has it all and thinks he has it easy but when he thinks about things, he realises that he in fact has absolutely no life and only really lives for the weekend whilst wasting away during the week. He knows deep down that he has to change and really wants to but is afraid of letting go of his old lifestyle as it is familiar and is really all he knows. The listener may think that the song is all about Deneil but in actual fact, 'Living For The Weekend' was written about his father and Deneil wrote the song whilst trying to get into the mind of his dad. Deneil's father fell into a life of drugs and partying not long after Deneil was born and it ultimately caused a rift in the family which eventually led to the Khan children being sent into care after the breakdown of the family. Years later, Deneil was the only one willing to regain contact with his father and the pair soon discussed their turbulent past. He learned a lot about his father's life and many things had been answered after such a long period of time. He discovered that his father wanted to change his ways but wasn't strong enough and ultimately let everything he had slip away. 'Living For The Weekend' is also rumoured to have a double meaning, serving as a warning to his older brother and his friends who might be heading the same way. However, this cannot be confirmed as Deneil has neither confirmed or deny this. Nonetheless, many lyrics back up this theory.
Living For The WeekendI seem to have lost all sense of dignity, guess I misunderstood the real meaning 'free'
Got so fucking sick and tired of following the system, threw out my old beliefs but now I need them
Want to find a light, yeah I want to seek redemption
But like a true Khan, I can't get enough of the attention
I don't listen to the others, I just turn my back, got my own fucking legion who always got my back
They can try to talk me down until they're blue in face but I don't hear a word, Dustyn Blue'd out my face
Right now I'm the big man, can't knock me down
It's a big bad world that we live in right now
I'm kinda screwed up in the head so I fit in quite well, I call this heaven some may call it hell
But if I don't sober up and get this shit out my system
The wild weekend is gonna claim another victim
Look at us we're runnin' it, killin' it
Fucking up our lives just for the sheer hell of it
I don't think things will ever be the same again
When you're lying on the ground, face down, it's a different perspective
Maybe I could make a change, grab the reins
But it's hard to get a grip when you're tied down to your wicked ways
I could be the perfect guy if I actually gave a fuck
But it's so comfortable down here, so familiar, why get up?
Feel like king of my own castle, like royalty, I have it all
To others I'm just a fake, wearing a crown of thorns, heading for my downfall
I see my kingdom in ruins, looking from my throne of empty bottles
But I'm only living for the weekend, it won't matter tomorrowMonday to Friday it's back to daily grind, give up halfway and my mind goes blank
Got some old faithfuls who wait on me hand and foot as long as they're there then it's all good
Work, stress, bills, babies crying, man, your world seems very appetising
Had a go, bit off more than I could chew, this normal life is something I can't do
So I'll set my alarm clock for Friday night, at the end of the week I come to life
Gotta break this routine, I know I really should
It's doing more damage than it is doing good
Could've been a college kid, a graduate
Always had a way with words, so creative and articulate
Still trying to write rhymes here in my dysfunctional world
But putting pen to paper has even became a struggle
Maybe I could try again, beat the pain
But it's hard to put up a fight when I've destroyed each and every vein
I could be the perfect guy if I actually gave a fuck
But it's so comfortable down here, so familiar, why get up?
Feel like king of my own castle, like royalty, I have it all
To others I'm just a fake, wearing a crown of thorns, heading for my downfall
I see my kingdom in ruins, looking from my throne of empty bottles
But I'm only living for the weekend, it won't matter tomorrowI could be the perfect guy if I actually gave a fuck
But it's so comfortable down here, so familiar, why get up?
Feel like king of my own castle, like royalty, I have it all
To others I'm just a fake, wearing a crown of thorns, heading for my downfall
I see my kingdom in ruins, looking from my throne of empty bottles
But I'm only living for the weekend, it won't matter tomorrowI could be close to perfect and make things work again if I really tried
I have so much potential just check out my credentials, what a waste of this life
I could be a role model for all the kids to follow if I could just find the light
But is it all worth it? Will it be as good as that buzz on a Saturday night?
I could be the perfect guy if I actually gave a fuck
But it's so comfortable down here, so familiar, why get up?
Feel like king of my own castle, like royalty, I have it all
To others I'm just a fake, wearing a crown of thorns, heading for my downfall
I see my kingdom in ruins, looking from my throne of empty bottles
But I'm only living for the weekend, it won't matter tomorrowCan Be Compared To;
