“Tropical Therapy” is a stand-out single from ONE OK ROCK’s new album, February 21, 2025.
Established in the early 2000s, ONE OK ROCK is an alternative J-rock band with pop-punk and hardcore influences, among others. This new album, including “Tropical Therapy,” shows that they still have what it takes to make bangers and emotional cuts. This single starts with an ethereal reverb-y guitar, bass cutting in with long-held notes. It builds a sound that makes you think, and then the beautiful, bright vocals cut in. They’re produced sharply, but there’s a raw and real emotion that still shines through it all. The chorus hits these full, belted notes, and many of the verses have a captivating rhythm that cuts through for an addictive flow overall. It works with a lot of chorus repetition overall, which makes things super catchy and easy to belt along to.
Lyrically, “Tropical Therapy” does well at capturing a story of struggling with the self and the current state of the world. Building from this, it tells a tale of wanting to escape. “I need to lighten all this baggage ’cause life is heavyweight / I’m sick of rolling with the punches, I need to get away,” the first verse ends. The chorus is about getting away to paradise, finding tropical therapy. This could reference a desire to leave the world or to take a vacation that resets the brain. That being said, the second verse talks about the golden gates of heaven and moving away from pain. This is a deep and dark story set to a nice warmth musically, and though the lyrics make it a hard listen, it’s relatable to many, especially in the current state of the world.
Written by Sage Plapp
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