Dom Rivers – ‘Playing Both Sides’

2020 is a year that has proven, and continues to prove, to be one which saps our strength and test our positivity. Every day is another day filled with headlines and news stories that in turn fill us with worry and despair. Even the most positive people find their thoughts are taking a more negative bent.

Dom Rivers knows this feeling all too well, and to counter it, he’s turned to art to restore his bounce. His whole life revolves around the arts, and he started the entertainment company, Gnarly Odds, back in 2016, with in-house production, a record label, and clothing brand. His vision is clear:

“The American entertainment company pushes creativity & drive to young creatives & millennials by striving to set the tone and have a positive impact while doing so.”

A company with such an ethos is perfectly designed for the current times, and as CEO and founder, Dom hopes to expand his reach within the community, as well as himself. His hope is to become a top tier act, and a household name as both a hip hop artist and record producer, starting with new single, ‘Playing Both Sides’, featuring Demon Marcus.

In ‘Playing Both Sides’ Rivers tackles the loneliness that arises from the chaos of heartbreak, and does so with a dynamic, yet melancholy beat, and an equally compelling video. We see a girl smashing a vase filled with flowers, sending shards of glass through the air. A single red rose is separated from the others, and across each scene we see it wilting more and more, losing its vibrancy, as it journeys alone among the busy streets and highways.

It’s not the end though; symbolically Rivers shows that while there is life there is still hope, and the video rewinds to the unbroken vase, and flowers intact. The girl chooses to take the red rose with her, literally playing both sides. She realises that the decisions she makes affect others – and it’s up to her if they harm others or not.

Watch the video for ‘Playing Both Sides’ below. You can find out more about Dom Rivers online on his Twitter.

About the author

Lisa has been writing for over 20 years, starting as the entertainment editor on her university newspaper. Since then she's written for Popwrapped, Maximum Pop, Celebmix, and ListenOnRepeat.

Lisa loves all good music, with particular fondness for Jedward and David Bowie. She's interviewed Edward Grimes (Jedward), Kevin Godley, Trevor Horn, Paul Young, Peter Cox (Go West), Brendan B Brown (Wheatus), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), among many many more. Lisa is also available for freelance writing - please email lisa@essentiallypop.com

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