Sunburn

Since self-releasing the track “3 Nights” in the late 2010s, Dominic Fike has become a multi-platform star. Not only have his closely felt songs made him a bona fide pop phenomenon worthy of a Paul McCartney co-sign, he’s also appeared in the HBO series <i>Euphoria</i>, which allowed him to flex his skills as an actor without breaking his momentum with his music. “I have been recording songs every day, or writing them,” he told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “Every time I make a song, I feel like it's my best song. It's hard not to want to put it out as soon as you make it. I think a lot of artists will feel me when I say that.” That drive to constantly be creating is why his third album is a bit of a flashback for him. Songs like the reggae-tinged “Dancing in the Courthouse” throw to his youth in Naples, Florida, and his scrapes with the law there, while the groove-forward, surrealistic “Ant Pile” has its roots in the music he made three years ago—when he was in a very different place in his life. “I made it when I was in active addiction and I was in no place to make music,” said Fike. “I had to spend a couple years in rehabs and things like that. When I came back, I was able to finish it—and it was exhausting. I had to take a look inside myself. There were so many emotional talks with producers, with people that were mentors or people I work with. It was just a heavy load on my shoulders that I'm grateful to be done with.”