“Evil” by Daughtry
This song does a good job of treading the metaphorical line of sounding both macrocosmic and personal at the same time. However, by the time all is said and done, it becomes clear that this piece is more personal than it isn’t.
Initially the titular “evil” is alluded to as sort of a societal, unavoidable affliction that we all have to deal with. But later in the song, “the devil” is personified as a female. And yes, the vocalist doing so may be perceived as a symbolic construct. But the overall feeling of the piece, such as Chris subsequently noting ‘the things we do for love’ and ‘falling for (the addressee’s) wicked games’ imply that this is in fact a real person and furthermore, we can postulate, a romantic interest.
But such is the challenge we’ve been faced with throughout the analysis of Dearly Beloved – trying to decide when the vocalist is speaking metaphorically and when he is being more literal. And by this point, we can conclude that some of the figures referenced on the album are symbolic, for lack of a better term. For instance, in trying to put all of the above together, maybe what Chris is really saying is something like this particular lady representing all that’s wrong with the world in his eyes.
Facts about “Evil”
“Evil” is the eighth song, on the tracklist of Daughtry’s 2021 studio album titled “Dearly Beloved”.
There are three songwriters credited with composing “Evil”. They are:
- Marti Frederiksen
- Chris Daughtry
- Scott Stevens
Stevens teamed up with Frederiksen to produce “Evil”, which was not one of the singles the band released from the aforementioned album. The following songs are “Dearly Beloved’s” official singles:·
- “World on Fire” (the album’s second track and first single)
- “Heavy Is the Crown” (the third track and second single of the album)
When was “Evil” released?
Its official release date is the same as the track’s album, which was issued in September of 2021.
