Inside The World of Mr.Insanity
By. Alicia Zamora
The artist born Christian Yu, otherwise known as DPR IAN, is a Korean-Austrailian indie pop artist. Known for his work with Dream Perfect Regime (DPR), he is an artist first and foremost but he is also a songwriter and editor. IAN is a versatile artist, both phenomenal and distinguished in his field.
MITO’s World
Before ‘Dear Insanity,’ we got ‘Mood Swings In To Order’ known as MITO, where he took us on a grandiose journey to hear and see parts of his emotions and daily thoughts. IAN has always been open about what he goes through and has a way of putting it into his music. MITO, which is IAN’s alter-ego, takes us in as we experience his vulnerability through his lyrics. Dear Insanity… chronicles his transformative journey from the enigmatic, “MITO,” persona to the compelling new alter ego, “Mr. Insanity.” This EP captures the essence of DPR IAN’s artistic evolution and creative genius. In conjunction with today’s release, IAN reveals the music video for the focus track, "Don't Go Insane,” which premiered on Zane Lowe’s global New Music Daily show on Apple Music.
What is insanity?
Slowly going into the album he starts off with his first track, “Famous Last Words.” It starts off with a storyteller introduction where he seems to be exchanging a few words between MITO and Mr. Insanity. You can tell with the melodies that this is about to take you on an adventure into his mind alongside his new persona.
Moving on to track two, “Welcome to the Other Side,” brings more of a powerful energy to the center. With the start of the track sounding as if you were in an orchestra. The violins also stand out as they flow in with the background of his stirring vocals.
“Don’t Go Insane,” is the third track on his EP. He also released a music video for this and truly, he never disappoints when it comes to his artistic visions. IAN goes above and beyond to ultimately show what his personal insanity looks like. At the ending of the song, he has heavy breathing with a bit of an, “mmm,” to it that pulls it all together. This song in particular is very reminiscent of his other song, “Calico,” from his earlier album, “MIITO.”
Track four, “Bad Cold,” is currently a huge fan favorite. It reminds fans of some of his old work and it gives them the same vibe as zombie pop. It was more of a nostalgic feel as if the beat and melodies he was using were a bit of a distant memory. The harmonizing during the end of the song sounds so angelic then he brings out more of a grand finale to the ending which really wraps the song together.
Track five, “So I Danced,” which was the second pre-release track, also has a music video. This song has more of a club vibe to it, hence the title. It's more of a stand-out track because of how it transitions from a smooth going-out vibe to a sudden dark and destructive sound. You can see the careless side of Mr. Insanity and how in the video he has no worries other than having fun.
With track six being, “Peanut Butter and Tears,” the first pre-release song, you can see how he's transitioning from childhood to adulthood. With the flow of the beat and the melodies it made me feel nostalgic as if our youth came back to us. When this song comes on it feels as if you're escaping reality and going into a fantasy world where problems are non-existent.
Ending it off with track seven, “Violet Crazy,” was such a perfect closing song for the album. You can hear the story that is being told and how Mr. Insanity has fully taken over his body. This track starts off with slow instrumentals accompanied by whistling in the background. As if he was fighting with everything in him to not let Mr. Insanity take over. Ultimately though, he loses control and Mr. Insanity is now fully in charge.
“Before MITO, there was Insanity,” shared IAN previously on his upcoming new project. “The Dear Insanity,” EP serves as a prequel to the expansive MITO universe. Spotlighting Mr. Insanity, who first appeared in the MIITO short film, ‘Dear Insanity,’ follows IAN’s journey to and throughout the dreamlike realm known as, ‘The Other Side.’ As he traverses through The Other Side, IAN slowly begins to lose his sanity bit by bit, thus turning into his new alter ego ‘Mr. Insanity’ at the story’s climax.” Written, directed, and produced by the multifaceted musician himself, the seven-track EP includes previously released singles, “Peanut Butter & Tears,” and, “So I Danced,” offering a tantalizing glimpse into the meticulously crafted narrative that continues to unfold within IAN’s expanding visual universe.
The DPR universe is an expansive one, but with every new entry in IAN’s discography, comes a different take on genres we’re all familiar with. From creativity to passion, you can see his world grow in all his work, and with that his sound expands. With Ian’s new album, “Dear Insanity,” you get to take a deeper look into his new alter ego. Once you press play you get immersed into his universe, with a sound like no other.
That being said IAN’s new album, “Dear Insanity,” consists of seven new tracks. He gave us a glimpse of two tracks (mentioned above) before his release on October 6th. With that teaser of what the album would be about and consist of, Dreamers went crazy. And not just Dreamers were excited, IAN caught the attention of many outside of his dedicated fanbase, causing buzz online!
A New World
Overall, this is album is exactly what fan were expecting, with just the right amount of surprises to keep it interesting. IAN is incredibly creative and dedicated to what he does and that shows in his art. ‘Dear Insanity…’ arrives nearly 15 months following the release of IAN's 2022 full-length studio album, ‘Moodswings In To Order,’ which enjoyed immense global success debuting at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, #6 on the World’s Albums chart, and #7 on Spotify's Top Albums Debut Global and US charts respectively. The project has since accumulated more than 50 million streams to date in the US alone. All these achievements rolling in to solidify IAN as one to watch, and earning him coveted spots on prestigious summer festival lineups such as Coachella, Head in the Clouds NY and LA, Lollapalooza, and many more. The accompanying MIITO short film, a testament to IAN's artistic brilliance, was also directed and edited by the man himself. The captivating film came to life during a sold-out, whirlwind 4-month world tour that spanned North America, Latin America, the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The tour was met with tremendous enthusiasm from fans across the globe, further cementing DPR IAN's status as an international sensation.
Needless to say, if you haven’t gave DPR IAN a chance, now would be the time!