The Happiest Place On Earth (2030)
Certified platinum. Dex Dizznee's debut EP is everything fans have been hoping for since Keepers. The lyrics are as complex as everything Dizznee writes and the instrumentation is light and fresh. Dizznee's creative focus has always been on a few different spectrums, and this project demonstrates his range better than even his best lyrical feature on a Kids album has ever done. When the EP was announced, many fans anxiously wondered if Dizznee's longtime co-writer, Sophie Foster would take part, and were not disappointed, although they were surprised. No longer is Dizznee supporting Foster's genius; here, she promotes his own. Flood and Bottling Starlightboth cover a time in their lives not touched on by either of them before, and it works.
"Let's Be Friends" || 4:12 || Lyrics by Dex Dizznee and Sophie Foster || Acoustic guitar and light snare; little production; Dex recorded four and a half minutes of toe tapping to play so quiet it's almost unnoticeable, meant to sound as as though it was picked up accidentally; lyrics detail Sophie and Dex's friendship from the initial awkwardness and tentativity to where the are at the time of writing this song, where one can call the other at three o'clock in the morning with a lyric or melody and they'll parse over it together until one of them falls asleep
Trivia: Although no official singles were released before or after the EP, a music video was filmed by Emmy-nominated director Lex Dizznee, one of Dex's younger brothers, featuring post-it notes of some of Dex and Sophie's more famous lyrical collaborations and a few old home videos of the two of them writing songs together; eagle-eyed viewers noticed one post-it at the corner of the screen reading 'Tinkering', a hint that would not be revealed for eleven months
"Nuts and Bolts" || 3:58 || Lyrics by Dex Dizznee || Introspective and questioning; Dex asks if a thing made up of 'nothing more than nuts and bolts' can have a soul and, in the bridge, if someone took them out, would he still stand tall; electric guitar noodles throughout, but the riff played before the final chorus becomes iconic and one of Dex's best known creations
Trivia: Rumors speculate that this song was rewritten over a dozen times as Dex tried to find the right words and sound; fans took to social media after Dex hinted at how much trial and error went into this track to shower him with praise and emphasize how perfect they thought the final product turned out to be
"Bottling Starlight" || 5:13 || Lyrics by Dex Dizznee and Sophie Foster || Although the title would suggest mystical and creative production choices, this track is perhaps the simplest on the EP, with the only instrument being an upright piano; lyrics detail one night spent at what Dex and Sophie call 'Moonglade', where Sophie got third degree burns and Dex got a best friend
Trivia: While Dex and Sophie have written many songs about their friendship, this track contains more truthful and specific details than any other; when Fitz Vacker was promoting the EP on his social media accounts, he used this track to explain that "I didn't know all of this until I listened to the song, which is just more proof that Dex knows my wife better than I do"
"Don't Need Fixing" || 4:06 || Lyrics by Sophie Foster and Biana Vacker || An answer of sorts to "Nuts and Bolts"; where Dex used to be wondering, now two of the people who know and love him best are reassuring; similar style to "Nuts and Bolts", with a strong electric guitar and supporting drumline; Fitz Vacker actually wrote the guitar riff that plays before the final chorus, although he is not the track's guitarist
Trivia: Dex and Biana had long been broken up by the time the EP was released, but this track made it clear what it was that had drawn them to each other in the first place; Sophie said while promoting the EP on her social media accounts that when she first heard the first version of "Nuts and Bolts", she took notes on everything she disagreed with, which later turned into lyrics for this track
"Flood" || 4:38 || Lyrics by Dex Dizznee || As untamed and turbulent as the title suggests; this track contains the most moving pieces of any song on the EP, with two guitars, a bass, strong drumline, and violins; cohesive and deep lyrics contrast with the seemingly out-of-control instrumentation; an unexpectedly produced ending to a relatively acoustic project
Trivia: For years after the song and the EP were released, the fans believed that Dex was referring to a metaphorical flood, and the event that inspired the song just felt like a flood; however, more than two decades later, one of Sophie and Fitz's children revealed that Sophie and Dex actually had been caught in a flash flood when they were twelve, and had almost drowned