BAUM - DUNNO

Los Angeles singer/songwriter/rising Pop Star turns in a heartfelt, soulful version of Mac Miller's "Dunno."

Mac Miller's original version of "Dunno," comes off as a bit of braggadocio, your classic back-handed bragging, talking about the girl he was getting with. It's romantic and complimentary, but it still comes off like "look what I have!"

BAUM - DUNNO

Mac Miller's soulful love song has a much different feel in the hands of a woman, herself. Rather than being an object, a trophy, a status symbol and manic pixie dream girl all rolled into one, LA rising star Baum becomes the girl in question. Instead of being objectifying and othering, it becomes an ode to empowerment from an actual #girlboss.

The tone is a better fit for Baum than it was for Miller. It helps you fall under "Dunno"'s spell more easily, succumbing to its not insignificant charms. Fender Rhodes keys form a smooth '70s backdrop to Baum's honey-smooth vocals, riding over a steady-rockin', rollin' beat.

"Dunno" is another installation in Baum's socially-consciousness, feminist-leaning alt-r&b. The rising pop star has previously tackled social issues like body shaming. She also deals with more personal matters, or personal-as-political at the very least, like on her most recent single, "F*ckboy." "Dunno" falls somewhere between the two, working as a feminist anthem of empowerment and doing your own thing. It's also just a good time, a banger to rock out to while you're getting ready for the club.

J. Simpson occupies the intersection between criticism, creativity, and academia. Based out of Portland, Or., he is the author of Forestpunk, an online journal/brand studying the traces of horror, supernatural, and the occult through music, fashion and culture. He plays in the dreamfolk band Meta-Pinnacle with his partner Lily H. Valentine, with whom he also co-founded Bitstar Productions, a visual arts collective focused on elevating Pop Culture to High Art.