“Can’t Deny My Love” by Brandon Flowers is a perfect song for the summer for three reasons: it’s got a great beat you can dance to, it has an instantly memorable chorus that demands to be sung with the windows down, and it’s about the best thing in life: love.
It’s also a great song because it breaks from the formulaic sound of the conventional pop single. Many different elements, including 80s-tinged synthesizers, live drums that groove with a jungle beat, and a variety of electric guitar textures combine to form a slightly unnerving yet irresistible backdrop for the urgent, piercing tenor vocals of Brandon Flowers.
So, what’s it about? The song begins by delving into the confusion and frustration that can trouble a relationship: “What’s going on in your head / Maybe something I said / I know that you’ve been living in the past.” But the song’s chorus blasts with passion and resolve: “It’s driving me crazy / You can try to lie / But you’re not gonna, not gonna deny, No you’re not gonna, not gonna deny my love.” It’s one of those priceless, fist-pumping choruses that begs to be sung along to, and the super-danceable beat will make it a full-body experience.
“Can’t Deny My Love” isn’t simply a catchy dance number, though. There’s a palpable sense of mystery and even foreboding in the melodies and lyrics (which are spookily illustrated in the song’s music video). The layers of both pain and the undeniable yearning involved in love are fully present. It’s a song that will not only stick in your head, but may also prompt a little contemplation.
