“I shattered mirrors to cope / You made me hate what I saw.” Wow – that’s a powerful, telling lyrical excerpt. For teen alternative pop singer/songwriter Isaac Dunbar, the struggle is real, or, at the least, it was at one time. That struggle he experienced revolved around his sexuality – being and living true to self despite social stigmas and such. On the brilliant, colorful record at hand, “Makeup Drawer,” Dunbar reflects on embracing his truth, and atoning for internalized homophobia, a prevalent issue within the LGBTQ+ individuals. Regarding “Makeup Drawer,” Dunbar explained what the song was about via his Instagram account:
“This song is about the struggle I had my whole life with internalized homophobia. My sexuality was outed by someone I thought I could trust most. I hated myself because I was not surrounded by the right support system at the time.”
That’s where those key words from the second verse, ‘cope’ and ‘hate,’ come into play. Of course, two lines alone don’t unpack “Makeup Drawer” completely. Dunbar is quite a clever songwriter, years ahead of his age, referencing “hiding beneath,” “surface,” and the appearance of things throughout the song. Essentially, these things all seem to capture where he’s at in terms of his identity. In some cases, he’s putting on a façade, trapped by that horrid, aforementioned internalized homophobia, and, of course, the closet. On the chorus, he sings:
“And I know where you’ll be
You locked the door to my makeup drawer
And you know where I’ll be
Rummage galore through my makeup drawer.”
He goes on to add, near the end of the record: “So hold your breath and close your eyes / Forget the makeup drawer…” before offering up some joyous, liberating, “Ooh la la la(s).” The big takeaway from “Makeup drawer?” Don’t get in your own way, don’t let others get in your way; live your truth and be who you were born to be. Sounds like an artist that far wiser beyond his years.
You can learn more about Isaac Dunbar here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
