Videos: Grandson, ‘Riptide’ and ‘Identity’

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Grandson (Photo by Ashley Osborn)

“Riptide” by Grandson does not wash away the mysteries found in the sand. Instead, the currents reveal the guilt and burdens hidden underneath the earth. “Riptide” and its accompanying video come after Grandson’s recent release, “Identity.”

Grandson — born Jordan Edward Benjamin — blends music with commentaries on politics, social issues and mental health. The Canadian-American’s new singles follow his three-volume EP, “a modern tragedy,” which he released in 2018 and ’19. The first installment of the EP housed his gold-certified song “Blood // Water.”

Leading in with luring guitar strums and gruff, angry vocals, “Riptide” finds Grandson singing of getting caught up with his addiction and his inability to save himself from his own destruction in the new single. “I have done bad things, did them to good people / Got no self control, it’s the root of my evil,” he sings.

The thrilling instrumentals of “Riptide” fuse punchy, alternative drum and guitar notes with distorted vocals and intoxicating beat drops. The grayscale video mirrors the lack of hope Grandson has in recovering and finding his true self.

The song and its visuals are a continuation of the concept from rap-rock track, “Identity,” which hauntingly captures the idea of breaking conformity in the current state of the country. Karl Jungquist directed both videos, which feature Grandson’s conformist alter ego.

“These songs have a lot to do with the conflict we find between making painful change or dealing with pain from staying the same with those familiar bad habits,” the artist says. “One way or another, it’s gonna hurt like hell.”

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park co-produced “Riptide” and mentored the Fueled By Ramen artist since the beginning of the writing process in 2019.

“I picked up the guitar and played the intro riff and the song practically wrote itself. It was the first of this new era written and while it addresses the pain of regret and the places we go to avoid confrontation, I’m proud to tell my story and hope that someone that hears it will find the strength to tell theirs,” the artist says.

Along with work on his debut studio album, expected to surface later this year, Grandson also teamed up with X Ambassadors and K. Flay on the recent single “Zen.”

||| Watch: The videos for “Riptide” and “Identity”