For the past few months, DΞΔN (or Dean) has been on the rise. His velvety smooth voice and obvious talent have earned him a place in the underground scene. His first album was heavily anticipated by K-hip hop and K-R&B fans, and, generally, it’s been well received.
His first music video from the album is for “bonnie & clyde.” Dean’s “bonnie & clyde,” isn’t just your normal R&B track. Instead, it is heavily influence by trap, with his voice oscillating between his signature falsetto and a looser feeling. The beat is crisp and sharp, making it perfect for body rolls and grinding in the club. It’s an extension of the music he’s released previously, especially “Pour Up,” but instead of just grooving predictably, “bonnie & clyde” is more disjointed. This song could fit comfortably between “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap and “The Party/The After Party” by The Weeknd, with the trap hooks and his sweet voice.
While “bonnie & clyde” is admittedly not my favorite song by Dean, the fact that he’s trying to expand on his style 
and try new things is something I appreciate. The chorus is amazing; it gets stuck in your head, but not in an obnoxious way. It’s been subtly worming its way into my brain since its release, and I still can’t quite get it out. The verses don’t feel as structured as some of his other songs, but they do still showcase his voice. The lonely vibe in his singing suits the song well since it seems to be about being in love with your friend with benefits. The subject of his affection acts cold towards him in public, and Dean just wants them to admit how they feel about him for one night. The chorus isn’t a coherent sentence or anything, just Dean repeating:
Bonnie and Clyde, Bonnie and Clyde
Who cares, who cares
Just friends, just friends, alright.
Who cares, who cares
Run away, run away
Who cares, who cares
Til we die, til we die, even if its the last for us
From what I can gather from the lyrics, the relationship between Dean and his lover is filled with drama and uncertainty. At one point, Dean croons that his lover will
“go back to that man that made you cry” and that maybe their relationship is a mistake. To a certain extent, comparing themselves to Bonnie and Clyde is appropriate; it’s clear that Dean feels their love is only going to end in tragedy. They’re not so much star-crossed as they are doomed lovers in Dean’s eyes, and this fits the overall vibe of the song.
The MV uses a bright and bold color palette; it is reminiscent of Big Bang‘s “Bae Bae” coloring. Everything is a little bit over-saturated and stylized, very much like his “Pour Up” MV. Unlike his other MVs though, “bonnie & clyde” is more surreal and trippy. It feels vaguely like a modern interpretation of the psychedelic visuals from the 1990s, complete with VHS tapes fritzing out. The basic plot of the MV has DEAN and his lover watching a film that is clearly supposed to be another version of themselves. Somewhere in the film, though, something goes wrong, and Dean’s lover disappears, or maybe was killed. At this juncture, we realize that his film version can take control and ends up killing his other self. We see a fight between the audience version of Dean and his lover before the MV ends with his other self watching it all play out. It’s a bizarre MV, but it works well with the overall theme and vibe of the song.
While “bonnie & clyde” isn’t my favorite song by Dean, I do think it’s a good one. It is a nice song to listen to, and if it was remixed for a club, it would get people to the dance floor for that nice, slow grind. It’s also good to see Dean expanding on his normal genre of music and trying to incorporate new influences.
Song: 3/5
MV: 4/5
