“Sugarcoat” by Sam Varga
Written for Tongue Tied Magazine, May 2022
Who would've thought that we could ever live in a world where country meets rock and actually sounds good? Not me! However, with a heavy influence of Nashville's country scene behind him and the emo-rock aura that Sam Varga brings to the table, "Sugarcoat" is the perfect mix of these two genres. In a recent TikTok, he mentions that this type of music would stem from a world where artists like The Used or Yungblud grew up in Mississippi, summing it up to "bluesy emo music".
“I’m a fucking mess when it comes to relationships and I’m sure it’s hell for the other person. So “Sugarcoat” is just ownership and laughing at it. Sonically, I always wanted to do a song that unashamedly blended blues and emo. Something really swampy but throwin’ in some Used or something. The music video is a trip. I just really wanted to cover myself chocolate and strawberry syrup. We can all still smell the cleanup that day.”
"Sugarcoat" truly emphasizes Varga's strong vocal range and his ability to mix a sugary, sweet music video with hardcore guitar strings. This release plays heavily on the cliche saying of "it's not you, it's me" - which I'm sure we've all been told once or twice before. Is that really the truth or just something we want ourselves to believe? Varga seems to play the bad mannered lover, whose partner routinely and effortlessly makes excuses for. While this song doesn't sound like an apology, it comes off as a manifesto for being the troubled, bad boy type and fully embracing the title.
The accompanying visual to "Sugarcoat" puts this release in a new perspective. While "sugar" is in the song title, most of the candy and props used in this video are sour - resembling the sour personality and behavior of the character Varga is portraying. Throughout the course of the visual, a red syrup is splattered across the set as the lyrics continue to describe all the terrible examples that make up a cliche "bad boy". In the end, it has a blood-like effect, dripping down glass and covering almost every inch of the background, creating a very eerie emotion overall. I think it's an interesting take on the song, and while I don't believe the blood is meant to be creepy or scary, it provides a warning to the viewer that this is not someone you'd want to be involved with.
With over 45k Spotify listeners and an array of shows lined up in the Nashville area, Sam Varga is on his way to becoming a common name under the genre of alternative-rock blues.
Sam Varga
Listen to “Sugarcoat” here.