Pairing up a comedy music special, titled “Insider”, with a single release, titled “Attention”, certainly isn’t an easy thing to do, but Dylan Case has certainly accomplished it. The fact that “Insider” has gone on to amass thousands of views on YouTube just shows how incredible this project is. The release of the funny single “Attention” makes it his debut single release.
Dylan Case’s journey is one of diverse artistic evolution. Initially finding success in the realm of audio engineering, contributing to music and post-production sound for television and film, he later embraced a fresh trajectory, venturing into the realm of data science. However, the universe had a unique twist in store. Inspired by Bo Burnham’s “Inside”, Dylan Case’s passion for musical comedy ignited, leading him to an exciting juncture where his multi-talents converged. Now, Dylan Case eagerly presents his inaugural comedy and music special, “Insider,” a testament to his remarkable voyage of transformation and creativity.
Inspiration for this special struck Dylan Case when he was watching Bo Burnham’s “Inside”. Deciding to challenge himself by diving into the unique genre that explores humour around music and storytelling, Dylan Case decided that he needed to show his child – who was on their way when he made this decision – that diving into creativity and dedicating yourself to a project, is a sign of strength and that you really can do anything when you set your mind to it. This special saw him spend a year crafting and creating, immersing himself in a room and pouring his heart and soul into this 38-minute visual.
“Insider” starts off with a brilliant opening, almost YouTuber-like, as Dylan Case presents his plan, his project, and where he got the inspiration from. Edited well throughout, it leans heavily into the comedy aspect that we are to expect from him – and this is exactly what we needed to relax the viewers into this 38-minute special (it was almost going to be an hour, he wasn’t entirely sure at the start). What we also learn at the beginning is who he is, it’s clear he can play a multitude of instruments (unless they’re all for show), and he can edit and create, leaning into his experiences as an audio engineer, musician, and data scientist.
Watch the music comedy special “Insider” by Dylan Case here:
The special’s first song is “Silly Song” an addictive beatbox-pop number that is silly in a funny way mixed around a groovy rhythm, that you can’t help but love. The “Titles” section fully shows off his comedic talents to the extent that he deserves to be up on stage, we’re sure the crowd would love him. “Alphabet (Double U)” has to be a relatable visual – we have all contemplated the letter “W”. Next up is “Pieces of Shit”, a piano-pop track that has a catchy rhythm and incredibly crafted lyrics that are bound to really resonate with listeners. Dylan Case proves that he knows exactly how to write a song, how to sing with conviction, and how to play the keyboard.
Continuing his inspiration from “Inside”, Dylan Case sings about Richard Branson in his segment called “Richard Branson”, and we’re here for it. The track flows effortlessly from his previous track, with Dylan Case still playing the keys but he soon switches it up into a trap-rap track, that actually suits his voice. The next silly song is an ode to Willow, the German shepherd mix dog that he got right before quarantine, who is obsessed with squirrels, and so he created this track titled “Barking Up The Wrong Tree”. It’s a stripped-back piano ballad that pulls at the heartstrings purely because he has projected a video of Willow jumping up at trees. The track turns inwards, becoming an inspiring track that we totally need on streaming sites so we can add it to our inspiration playlists, to lift our spirits up when we’re feeling like we’re barking up the wrong tree.
It’s after this segment that we realise he didn’t make his “baby deadline” and Dylan Case is officially a first-time daddy in this very clip as he introduces baby James to the camera. “Attention” is next, with this segment going on to become his official debut single that is currently available to download and stream across all platforms, right now. The studio version is more clear and crisp, whereas the video version comes across as raw and real. Conceptual and relatable, “Attention” is an addicting track that starts off slow with a variety of questions before rocking out for the awesome chorus that will resonate with a variety of listeners as we all know how social media can be toxic, especially when you want and crave attention. The switch between the verses where it’s a stripped-back guitar track and the chorus where it’s a rock-out anthem, just showcases the flexibility and versatility of Dylan Case.
Stream “Attention” by Dylan Case on Spotify here:
While the previous track is extremely catchy and is likely to be stuck in our heads for the rest of the day, “Better If You Died” brings a dynamic harmonious boy-band vibe with Dylan Case dressed just like he belongs in a ’90s group such as the Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC. He combines his vocals to create harmonies while nailing boy-band choreography all wrapped around an interesting and comical message that we can’t help but relate to. So much work must’ve gone into this track and visual segment, and it totally paid off! “WOKE” follows next which starts off with the keyboard and a soulful vocal, which leads us to wonder where it’s going, and then he impresses by setting up the projector and linking in visuals to his lyrics about fighting for justice and making the world a better place for every person. Almost a protest song, this really makes a statement piece that touches our hearts throughout. That is until the chorus hits and comedy flows right in with an upbeat rock tune turning the title from “WOKE” to “E-WOK”, which is a small furry fictional species from Star Wars. The next segment is “Christmas Song” and it’s just as you can imagine, Dylan Case is dressed as Santa and delivers a Christmas song in August – we guess it’s not too early, we suppose, although we’re sure anyone watching “Insider” in February wouldn’t quite appreciate how awesomely festive this track is. Well that, and how he deconstructs everything we know about Christmas festivities and how it actually doesn’t make sense – we do wonder if baby James will be sheltered from this segment until he’s older (to be fair, there are swear words throughout, baby James is only ever going to feature in the visual until he’s deemed old enough to view it). Regardless, the catchy chorus hooked us in every way – we need this song on streaming sites so we can add it to our Christmas playlists.
The last segment and song is titled “I Know It’s Pathetic” and Dylan Case showcases his exhaustion at the start – this project has really taken its toll, but it’s clearly been worth it. The track is a laid-back guitar-rhythm-led anthem that’s full of honest lyrics spun in a comedic way making it relatable to his audience, resonating with us throughout, and making this the perfect track to end on. “Insider” is a music comedy special that Dylan Case can truly be proud of and we loved watching this from beginning to end.
In the last song, he has a lyric about how he feels like he should’ve probably given up, but we are so glad he saw this right to the end because “Insider” by Dylan Case is incredible, full of brilliant comedic moments and awesomely catchy tracks that we’d definitely listen to again and again. If anything, this project just proves how incredibly comedic he is, and how versatile he is as an artist, not to mention his superb vocals. We can’t help but hope that Dylan Case goes on to drop an album of these tracks on streaming platforms for us all to enjoy again and again, and we also can’t help but hope he makes another comedy music special with more silly songs – but first, he needs a total break and he needs to enjoy being a dad and spending time with baby James rather than locking himself away in a room, alone.