B-Side Guys

The countdown that launches “Toxic Romantic” serves less as introduction and more as warning—1, 2, 3, 4!—before Duckwrth detonates a self-incriminating confessional that demolishes any facade of romantic nobility. After a two-year touring hiatus, the LA-based genre-defier returns with the lead single from his forthcoming third LP, “All American F*ckBoy,” delivering perhaps his most unflinching self-portrait to date.

Produced by BLK ODYSSY and Two Fresh, the track’s pulsating punk-rock framework provides the perfect vehicle for Duckwrth’s exploration of relationship self-sabotage. The instrumentation crashes forward with a reckless energy that mirrors the lyrical content, creating sonic cohesion between form and subject matter. When he admits “I’m so problematic, my baby said she can’t stand it,” the delivery balances confession with a hint of perverse pride, capturing the contradictory impulses of someone simultaneously aware of and indulging in destructive patterns.

What distinguishes “Toxic Romantic” from similar explorations of infidelity is its refusal to either justify or apologize. The repeated declaration “It’s not you, I swear, it’s me” functions not as genuine absolution but as shallow deflection—a point reinforced by the track’s frenetic pace that never allows for genuine reflection. This breathless quality enhances the sense of someone caught in behavioral cycles they recognize but cannot escape.

The accompanying desert-set music video amplifies these themes, depicting two versions of Duckwrth—one pursuing temptation, the other fighting for restraint—in a visual representation of internal conflict. This duality informs both the visual narrative and the song’s vocal approach, which shifts between confessional verses and shouted chorus sections that suggest emotional compartmentalization.

Having amassed over 800 million streams across his catalog, Duckwrth has established himself as a boundary-pushing artist whose work spans music, fashion, and visual media. “Toxic Romantic” suggests his third album will continue this cross-disciplinary approach while digging into more personal territory. His willingness to explore generational trauma and its impact on romantic relationships indicates an artistic maturation that builds upon rather than abandons the “feel-good” elements that initially built his following.

The track’s unflinching examination of selfish impulses positions it as a pivotal moment in Duckwrth’s discography—one that leverages alternative punk-rock’s cathartic potential to transform personal shortcomings into universal emotional experience. If “Toxic Romantic” represents the confession, the forthcoming album promises to deliver the reckoning.