Matt DeAngelis – Playing God (2026)
Writing songs with brutal honesty and an intimate narrative that connects on a deeper level, singer-songwriter Matt DeAngelis uses personal experiences, thoughts and ideas to craft meaningful music. We discovered DeAngelis in 2022 with his album World I’m Comin’ For You – a release that offered originality, innovation, and a powerful showcase of his versatility as an artist. Skip ahead four years, and DeAngelis remains on our radar. The latest addition to his discography is the single, ‘Playing God’.
In his previous single, ‘Helpless To The Fire’, DeAngelis reflected on capitalism, materialism, and the tendency to place value on what we hold in our hands rather than what we cannot necessarily see. It is a song of evolution and universal appeal where the only escape from inevitable destruction is hope in a higher power. ‘Playing God’ retains this presence of a higher being but explores what it says on the tin: people playing God. He explains:
“’Playing God’ is a song written about mankind’s eternal struggle to be in control of not just their own lives, but the lives of others. Throughout time, man has always battled with his own ego, thinking he can control his own destiny, which, in essence, is taking the role of or playing God. This is especially true for world leaders who conduct their lives without including God, where they believe it is they that rule the world… I think this release couldn’t be more pertinent in today’s unsettled world. It’s a wake-up call for all of us.”
Toe-tapping and charming, the classic rock single is a harmonic concoction of drums, a steady bass, piano and guitar – all flowing along with a sound that forces you to stand up and twirl about. DeAngelis’ rich vocals dance along the melody, adding a soothing, gentle ease to ‘Playing God’. A shout-out needs to be given to the guitar riffs, adding a grittiness to the single. For me, the juxtaposition of happy smiles and poignant themes really ups the ante on ‘Playing God’.
In addition to the single, Matt DeAngelis released an official lyric video for ‘Playing God’. You can view the video below and/or on his YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Matt DeAngelis on his official website, X, Instagram, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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