Dax is a Nigerian-Canadian singer-songwriter and rapper also known as Daniel Nwosu Jr. He initially started releasing and promoting his music through SoundCloud and has been officially releasing his own music since 2017, building up an extensive discography of singles and albums. “A Real Man” is the latest single from the artist exploring themes such as unattainable standards and the performance of masculinity.

In “Real Man” we get to hear the vocalist Dax. The part of him that sings and lets his emotions out through melody is revealed to us. As the cover art makes evident, “A Real Man” is sombre and filled with themes that are intense, intentional, emotional and maybe even a little dark. I enjoyed how Dax is able to integrate his rapping abilities even in a track as mellow as this one.

The track starts off with strings that have an electronic synthetic touch to them. The strumming pattern brings a sense of rhythm and acts as percussion while the beat keeps it light, letting its hi-hats dominate.  We hear strings, sound effects and clicks in the background, but the mild and simple instrumentation makes it evident that the vocals and songwriting are the star of the show.

Lyrically the track explores the contradictions in the expectations of performing masculinity. It does so through the lens of desirability and what a woman might want in a male partner and I wish the songwriting stepped outside of this lens as it can limit the exploration to the process of courtship. There is also a real danger of painting women as primary upholders of this expectation when there is much more that holds “Ideal Masculinity” in place. The unattainable standards of chivalry are summarised succinctly by Dax in the hook “Yeah, she said she wants a real man, but what she wants is not for real man”.  The pursuit of being a provider and hiding one’s emotions that makes one inhuman and the real risk of losing love due to a fall from this pedestal is delved into.