STOP! IN THE NAME OF D.K. LYONS
Meet D.K. Lyons and tune into his latest single “stop”
It is evident that pop music is having a moment of maximalism right now. Think glittery heartbreak, chaotic choruses, and a healthy dose of self-aware camp, but few artists are stitching those layers together with the precision and personal edge that D.K. Lyons brings to the table.
The Massachusetts-raised, Manhattan-based singer-songwriter has been building a reputation for his ability to thread introspection into high-energy hooks, a balance he nails yet again on “stop,” the latest installment from his forthcoming Darling Kiss Louder EP, set to arrive August 22.
At first listen, “stop” feels like a fever dream ripped straight out of the early 2000s pop-punk resurgence. The track’s journey holds imagery of foot-stomping energy, sharp melodic turns, and a heavy hit of teenage restlessness. But for D.K., surface-level storytelling was never in the picture, making efforts to dive deeper with each and every track. Underneath the frenetic riffs and shout-along moments is a familiar tension for chronic overthinkers: a constant spiral of “what ifs” and “what nows” that can distract from actually living in the moment.
“I’m a chronic overthinker,” Lyons admits. “But I’ve always loved turning those thought patterns into character-driven narratives. For ‘stop,’ it actually started with a list of mantras I had scribbled down to ground myself, lines like ‘stop chasing cars down a dead-end street’ and from there, the whole scene built itself out like a movie in my head.”
This cinematic instinct that defines Darling Kiss Louder thrives both sonically and visually. For this project, Lyons is building a world rooted from pages of a locked diary, consisting of questions about love, loss, and meaning, all wrapped in the high-concept packaging of layered pop culture references.
The project takes loose inspiration from Dante’s Divine Comedy, mapping each track to one of the seven deadly sins while pairing the music with over-the-top visuals that nod to the pop icons who’ve been dominating 2024. Where previous single “loveseeking” explored the sin of greed through a Chappell Roan-inspired lens, “stop” takes on gluttony, but it’s more spiritual hunger than a literal indulgence.
The song’s accompanying music video, arriving July 17, draws influence from Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” but true to D.K. style, it comes with a satirical edge, poking at influencer culture, modern-day consumerism, and the manic desire to package every experience for public consumption.
For D.K., the concept is less about moral judgment and more over questioning where real joy, connection, and meaning live in a world that feels increasingly curated. “So many people complain about how social media, technology, and this constant grind for more have drained the joy out of life,” he explains. “This whole project is me asking those same questions, but hopefully reminding people there’s still space to laugh, dance, cry, and actually live in the moment.”
Already on an unstoppable momentum, “stop” offers another layered, meticulously crafted taste of what’s to come. With Darling Kiss Louder approaching, and an undeniable hunger to twist the grounds of pop music, D.K. Lyon is building his own musical empire mantra by mantra.
“stop” is available on all streaming platforms.
