Folk Adjacent Alt Pop from Los Angeles. - Gabriel Black: King of the Nosebleeds

We wrote about Gabriel Black years ago when he was just breaking onto the scene as a mysterious cartoon character. After 2 glorious full-length releases — 2018's "beautiful life" and "help me, i'm flying" the next year — Black is back with more of his signature folk-adjacent alt-pop. Described by the songwriter as a mashup between Taylor Swift's “You Belong With Me” and your favorite Nirvana song, "King of the Nosebleeds" explores loneliness as a precursor to transcendent art.

Known by some as a wide-eyed cartoon, and by others as a very complicated human, Gabriel Black meshes a striking tone of vulnerability with a vocal presence that is sure to take his fans and contemporaries by surprise. In the self-directed video for this song armor-clad Gabe — with his dog in tow — makes the journey from desert to the snow-capped mountains, celebrating the role of the outsider while saying the quiet part out loud. At once sad, slightly angry, and very personal, "King of the Nosebleeds" was written for that person who doesn't always get invited to parties. This dynamic and eminently relatable pop track doubles as an anthem for the perpetual underdog who is down, but never out.

In my head I'm a king, you're supposed to be the queen
I built a throne for us to sit on made of Christmas lights and cigs
If I could have it my way
I'd be there with you
But I'm not of the it-scene
I was never cool
So I'll be king of the nosebleeds all alone
Hiding out in my cave with my dog

Gabriel Black was born in New Jersey and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This track was produced by Grammy winner Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles).

Visit Gabriel Black on Instagram.