We last heard from Ana Luna a month ago, when she released “Dance in a Trance.” At the time, she was coming to terms with life post-breakup, which usually involves much reflection on the former relationship. She tried to figure out what the relationship really meant to her and the other person involved so that she could justify how to feel now that it had ended. All the while, the hypnotic production and Ana’s alluring vocals were enough to draw you in, as if she was putting listeners in their own kind of trance while explaining her story. She now follows up “Dance in a Trance” with “Daddy’s Empire,” which offers a different look at heartbreak.
On “Daddy’s Empire,” Ana gets into the way that she was treated in a past relationship. She recalls, “He wanted all the things only I had / I give, I give / You take, you take” and “‘Take care of me,’ he begs of me / Should’ve known I’d be playing caregiver to my baby / He’s lost behind bars crying for help.” In the end, she was left to do all of the work for this person, to make up for their mistakes. We can hear the disappointment and anger in Ana’s voice, which is accompanied by shimmering guitar, smooth bass, and steady drums. Altogether, they create drama and tension throughout, only heightening the intensity of Ana’s words.
About “Daddy’s Empire,” Ana shares,
“There was no lack of love between us, but I saw patterns in him that came from immaturity. Not in the way he treated me, but in how he lived: he’d talk about big dreams but never pursue them, complain about toxic friends but stay stuck in the same dynamics, shut down instead of speaking up. I wanted so badly for him to be happy, to grow into who he could be. But he couldn’t see what needed to change, and I couldn’t make him see it. That’s where the heartbreak really lived. This song holds space for that frustration, but also for the truth that we were both still growing. There’s no villain here.”
You can listen to “Daddy’s Empire” here.
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