You know a powerhouse vocalist when you hear one. And Teddy Swims is that powerhouse.
He goes by his stage name Swims, which is an acronym for Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes, while Teddy refers to the frame of his youth.
Swims was born as Jaten Dimsdale in Georgia back in 1992. He grew up a multi-talented young man, playing high school football and then finding his true passion for singing in musical theater. For Swims, it was a joy to work on his vocal technique as he constantly experimented with music of all genres, from rock to soul to R&B.
After that, he sang in multiple bands; but his real claim to fame came in 2019, thanks to his YouTube channel. There, he began putting out covers from a range of genres, dipping his toes into many melodic waters.
And now we’re back in the present.
Swims’ track “Lose Control,” from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, continues to climb the charts. It’s currently sitting at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s being played all over TikTok and Instagram. It’s everywhere.
I’d venture to say it’s because this man can sing. Seriously. He doesn’t need an ounce of Auto-Tune or any editing. And in “Lose Control,” his powerful vocals call out to a woman who brings out both the best and worst in him.
“Lose Control” has introspective moments, as Swims wrestles with his “addiction” for his lover, realizing that they’re not the best for one another.
Swims feels trapped by his desire (“Feels like the walls are all closin’ in/And the devil’s knockin’ at my door”) and doesn’t know what to do in his solitude (“It’s takin’ a toll on me, tryin’ my best to keep/From tearin’ the skin off my bones”).
But despite this woman’s apparently negative influence on him, Swims would still rather be with her …
… and that’s what he’s wrestling with in this song. He admits that he has no self-control without her (“I lose control/When you’re not next to me/ … You make a mess of me”). He equates his desire to a drug addiction (“Problem is, I want your body like a fiend, like a bad habit/… I want that real full moon black magic and it takes two”) that can only be solved, it seems, in bed (“And I need some relief, my skin in your teeth/Can’t see the forest through the trees …”).
Swims is known for singing about a wide range of topics, such as heartbreak, codependency, sex, substance abuse and alcohol.
At times, he’s got intuitive psychological insights that are worth noting. And we hear some of those in this song.
And man, can he sing, as I noted above. There’s just something about real singing. Real music. Real talent. You can feel it in your bones. In my opinion, Teddy Swims has that kind of real talent.
But let’s not confuse his artistic capability with being family friendly. Because this song certainly isn’t. It’s primal, graphically sensual and deeply problematic as Swims wrestles through a codependent, toxic relationship as strong as drug addiction itself.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
