There are moments when being misunderstood becomes its own kind of freedom. For Nashville born alt pop and neo soul artist Talon David, that idea sits at the heart of Villain, the first half of a fairy tale inspired double album arriving September 6.
Written, produced, arranged, engineered and performed by David, Villain grew from a very real experience of being blamed for standing up for herself and other artists. That frustration first appeared in “Make Me the Villain,” but the song eventually became something much bigger. It opened the door to an entire album about what happens when other people decide who you are before giving you the chance to tell your own story.
David’s move from Nashville to the UK in 2022 added another layer to that journey. She arrived without an established support system and spent the years that followed adjusting to a new country while continuing to develop as both a person and an artist. Along the way, she began recognising a pattern in her experiences. Jealousy, expectations, influence and personal beliefs could all turn authenticity into something others wanted to punish.
Instead of shrinking herself, David turned that experience into music.
Across Villain, she explores anger, grief, loneliness, relationships, fake friendships, awkward encounters, existential uncertainty and the eventual relief of no longer trying to fit into somebody else’s version of you. The album is theatrical without losing its emotional core, allowing David to move between alternative rock, neo soul, funk, house, pop rock, retro R&B, reggae pop and darker shades of pop.
That variety is central to her identity as an artist. David approaches her music almost like a manuscript, building complete worlds around her ideas. Her background in acting and audiobook narration, including work connected to Bridgerton, Neal Morse’s progressive rock operas and more than 150 recorded books, has clearly influenced the way she thinks about character, atmosphere and storytelling.
The songs each reveal a different side of the larger narrative. “Make Me the Villain” provides the explosive origin, while “Inner Banshee” turns grief and existential uncertainty into a restless house and neo soul release. “Ghosted” finds humour in being ignored, “Awkward” captures the strange tension of unexpectedly seeing someone after a few dates, and “Mosaic (All of You)” offers one of the album’s most exposed moments, using piano and soaring vocals to explore loneliness and the desire for genuine connection.
Elsewhere, David plays with identity and perception. “Hero Is a-Slitherin’” challenges the assumptions attached to labels, while “Neverland” uses a haunting neo soul setting to explore complicated ideas around public perceptions of Michael Jackson. “Better Friend” turns fake friendships into something playful, while “I Wish You Well” examines the difficult kindness of walking away from a relationship that cannot last.
The closing “Last of My Kind” brings the story toward confidence, encouraging listeners to stop living inside endless possibilities and simply trust themselves.
What makes Villain particularly interesting is that David does not treat the villain label as something she needs to escape. She turns it into a character, then uses that character to examine rejection, resilience, identity and self acceptance.
There is anger here, but there is also humour. There is heartbreak, but there is movement. Most importantly, there is the feeling of an artist finally refusing to apologise for taking up space.
Villain is not really about becoming the bad guy. It is about realising that sometimes the role people give you has nothing to do with who you actually are.
Find Talon David: Instagram, Spotify, Website
