Make Believe Love’s latest single ‘Delay Deny Depose’ doesn’t just slap you with a hook- it slips a knife of satire between the ribs of late-stage capitalism. The brainchild of Los Angeles artist Lucas Berman, the track folds lo-fi synths, twang-laced guitars, and razor-edged wit into a politically charged anthem that skewers corruption, corporate power, and the surreal absurdity of American life.
Its sting lies in the details- a narrative loosely inspired by the real-life trial of Luigi Mangione, reimagined here as a vigilante folk anti-hero. Without condoning his actions, Berman uses the story to highlight the crushing alienation and simmering resentment that so often sit in the shadow of glossy, corporate America.
The single arrives with a gloriously bizarre 16-bit Super Mario–style music video, where the plucky plumber becomes a pixelated protest icon. It’s not just a visual gag- it’s a reclamation of childhood nostalgia, weaponised to call out a system that crushes those it deems expendable. That same spirit carries into the track’s fuzzed-out groove, where bright, jangling riffs clash beautifully with lyrical venom.
Berman’s roots in the punk underbelly- from Sunset Strip dive bars to New York’s chaotic club scene- come through in the song’s wiry energy and unapologetic bite. Yet for all its fire, ‘Delay Deny Depose’ never loses sight of melody, smuggling its critiques inside choruses you can’t help but hum.
With a September 4th release show alongside The Orion Experience and a full-blown LA wildposting campaign, ‘Delay Deny Depose’ is more than a single- it’s a cultural prank with teeth. Make Believe Love has found a way to make protest anthems feel as fun as they are furious, pixel by pixel and chord by chord.