Dancing On The Wall - MUNA (Review)

Joey Gilbertson
1 day ago
3 min read

Album cover for Dancing On The Wall — Album cover for *Dancing On The Wall*

Hey everyone! We have yet another song review for this week's post! MUNA has made their long-awaited return with their newest single Dancing On The Wall and have announced an album of the same name. I've been a huge fan of MUNA since I saw them at The Eras Tour in Chicago a couple of years back, and I've been itching for new music from them ever since. So here we are, finally! Let's get into it!

Sound

I'll just start off by saying that I am completely obsessed with this song. Every time I open Spotify to walk to class, study, or grab a coffee, this is the first song I play- without fail. After only 4 days, I've already streamed it for over 70 minutes. But what's so great about it? Well, first of all, it's a certified pop banger. It's not too different from other pop songs of today, but there are aspects that set it apart. It feels bubbly, yet slightly industrial. There are some elements that remind me of the 2013-era pop, like the string instruments layered throughout the mix. I also really love the chorus's syncopation. In general, the chorus is really the star of the show here; it's just so addicting. "You're the one that I keep banging my head against" is stuck in my head at all times of the day. Just when you think the chorus is ending, it comes right back with "So what? / I'm calling you up again", and it's such an unexpected switch-up that brings you right back into the action for a second round of energy. It's just SO GOOD. It scratches an itch in my brain every time I press play.

Lyrics

One thing I've always commended MUNA for is their ability to write a good pop song. There's a popular stigma that writing a pop song is cheap and easy, and writing a sad piano ballad is so much more complex. But that couldn't be further from the truth, and MUNA is a prime example of that. This song's about putting in a lot of time and effort into somebody you like, just to be given less than the bare minimum in return. But you accept it anyway, because this person has a charm that always keeps you crawling back. "I'm dancing on the wall when I'm with you" is such a simple (yet creative) way of describing a particular situation. Maybe this person seems to be expressing some kind of interest in you, and here you are at a party together, yet the only one you end up dancing on is the wall. This is just one example of a simple one-liner that can contextualize an entire song. Another important aspect of a pop song is how well it can tell a story. Lines like "Bought your favorite ice cream / Left it in the backseat / Just another sweet thing you let go bad" feel convoluted on the surface, but serve a deeper purpose in setting the stage for visual storytelling. Sure, ice cream has nothing to do with the song's core theme, but it paints a clear picture without being overly complicated and is easily understood upon hearing it. Lyrics like these are easy to digest without feeling meaningless, which is very important in constructing a proper pop song.