South London’s Max Pope returns with “borderline”, a woozy and introspective new single that captures the emotional vertigo of feeling unmoored in a world that moves too fast to hold onto. It’s his first release since his 2022 debut album, Counting Sheep, and it marks a striking tonal shift – one that embraces darkness, disconnection and the seduction of letting go.
Written during a disorienting trip to LA, “borderline” is laced with late-night haze and existential drift. Pope’s vocals float effortlessly over a bed of dreamy guitar and warped production, blurring the line between clarity and confusion, much like the song’s protagonist drifting through Uber rides, fractured conversations and fleeting connections. “We only talk at night / We speak in spells that break in the morning light”, he sings, drawing a line between intimacy and illusion, yearning and futility.
There’s a raw vulnerability in Pope’s performance, not just in his lyrics but in the way the song seems to unravel as it plays. The repeated refrain – “I’m stuck at the borderline / Losing what I thought was mine” – captures that gut-punch moment when you realise you’ve crossed into unfamiliar emotional territory, and there’s no map back. Whether he’s referencing lost love, a slipping sense of identity or the shallow comforts of LA’s glossy facade, Pope doesn’t offer clean resolutions. Instead, he lets the ambiguity speak volumes.
Musically, “borderline” leans into a richer, more saturated palette than his previous work. The smoothness of his earlier material gives way to something more jagged and immersive – sonic textures that echo the instability he felt during that fateful trip. It’s not chaos for chaos’ sake, but a deliberate exploration of what happens when you let the guardrails go.
“borderline” is about finding power in losing your place entirely. It’s a compelling pivot for Max Pope – bold, bruised and unafraid to sit in the in-between. The single sets the stage for further music that will be coming later this year, leaving listeners eager for more.
