The second track from KarmaTax's debut EP, Zero, grills the lazy and entitled for reverting to bad habits and toxic behaviors. "Paradise Is Mine" aims right at the people who know they have potential, but have no drive to reach their dreams.
Sung from the perspective of someone who claims to be a "fully grown man" but still needs you to "be kind" to them, it's at times playful and introspective while channeling the raw, defensive energy of someone confronted with their own misspent talent.
With graceful vocal runs and punctuating guitars, each musical moment travels through someone's self-realization of entitlement. The quieter, reflective sections where the shimmering chords ring out and lines like "fool me once, then fool me twice/ fool me three times—paradise" feel like reluctant admittance. But then it switches back to lines like "I'm going places, anyway" with driving drums and interjecting guitar notes.
Even the music video walks this balance. From rapid quick cuts to the subtly flashing light in the background, the visual tone is agitated. And yet, with handheld framing and close-up shots, we're right there with KarmaTax. As they take the emotional rollercoaster, we see and hear it with them—as close to experiencing it firsthand as it gets.
Watch the band perform "Paradise Is Mine" below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he's not writing for his supper, he's eating it at some of NYC's most interesting restaurants.
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