Artist: Danse
Title: Other Side of Town
Genre(s): Country, Rockabilly, Rock & Roll
Length: 4:04
Writer(s): Danse Honeyman
Producer(s): Danse Honeyman
Label: Independent
From The Album: TBA
INFORMATION"Other Side of Town" is a song by American singer-songwriter Danse Honeyman, known mononymously as Danse. It serves as Honeyman's second single, being released independently to streaming services and digital outlets only. The track was entirely written and produced solely by Danse. "Other Side of Town" marks Honeyman's first release following the global success of his debut single "Scar Tissue", which became a viral hit and global chart success in 2025, peaking at #2 on the Chart Heat Top 20 and becoming one of the most acclaimed and enduring hits of the year. Following the unexpected success of his release, Danse chose to remain an independent artist despite many offers from labels being presented to him. Honeyman did however sign to Velour Management in late 2025 for artistic representation and marketing of future musical releases. "Other Side of Town" was written and composed in 2024, prior to Honeyman's official debut and is one of his oldest recordings. When deciding on the official follow-up to the incredibly successful "Scar Tissue", Danse finally settled on "Other Side of Town" after much deliberating as it is one of his many compositions that he "has never grown tired of". Like its predecessor, "Other Side of Town" has been highlighted for its LGBTQ+ themes in the often conservative modern day country music genre.
MUSIC & LYRICSMusically, "Other Side of Town" is a country pop song with elements of rock and roll, creating a "nostalgic" fusion of classic and beloved genres. Honeyman also tapped into retro soundscapes on his debut single, seemingly an artist who nods to and has heavily studied music of the past and with the intent of creating tracks that sound "instantly familiar". While "Scar Tissue" echoed sounds of the 1970's, "Other Side of Town" turns the clock back even further and revitalises the musical boom of the 1950's and 60's, merging classic country with rockabilly and rock and roll. The song builds from a typical country music, slow building guitar twanging alongside Danse's "breezy" and "baritone" storytelling verses before erupting into Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" influenced chorus with "crooning" big vocals, layered instrumentation and a feeling of sonic grandeur in comparison to the more subdued, traditional singer-songwriter style verses.
Lyrically, the song speaks about the taboo subject of infidelity as well as tapping into the stigma and shame that many feel for being gay across certain parts of America. It opens with a play on the famous American public service announcement which questioned; "It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are?". "Other Side of Town" sees Danse narrate as he recants a story he has witnessed happen several times to multiple people; encountering a man in a gay-centric space and engaging in homosexual activity all while being married to a woman. Danse sings about the woman's wilful ignorance in the verses with empathy and understanding, acknowledging her fears but also reminding her that her stubborn pride won't change anything and that it is a situation where nobody wins in the end. The song's chorus taps into the secret acts of the husband that he has witnessed without being overtly explicit. The phrase "Other Side of Town" is used both literally and figuratively, a remark about the man being gay while presenting as straight as well as referring to a specific area in town that only people "in the know" frequent.
Danse lovingly satirizes classic country music lyrical tropes, merging nostalgia in with modernity. Lines such as
"'Cause only true country folk know what makes a house a home" nod towards the concept of traditional family values often expressed by those in Southern States while
"Waiting by the window as he's going up the backroads" pokes fun at the lyrical tropes of driving on country roads in a pickup truck, using it as a euphemism for anal sex.
SONG COMMENTARYQuote:"This is a song that I wrote out of frustration, not so much at the people involved but at the world and society as a whole. It still kills me that people can't be their true and authentic self out of fear of drastic repercussions. We have straight-up criminals in charge of entire countries, laws, economies, militaries and all sorts all over the world but many people are cool with that or they don't care enough to fight for change. They care enough to make a hateful Facebook comment about a Disney movie having a lesbian couple being parents though. There are parts of the world where these crooks, felons and downright evil creatures have more rights than gay people who have everything stripped away from them, they're thrown in jail, they're shunned, they're abused, they're sometimes killed. The latter either being taken into the hands of homophonic reprobates or actual barbaric law rulings."
"That horrible, archaic mindset and culture has in turn created its own sub-culture. It isn't spoken about. It isn't even spoken about WITHIN said sub-culture. There are so many secretive and hush-hush places and spaces that gay men have to frequent not only for an outlet but to feel safe. Bars, backroom clubs and vaults, sauna parlours, cruising areas, they've existed forever and there has been a spike ever since a certain demographic got their talons back into power again. Perhaps these "don't ask, don't tell" spaces wouldn't need to exist if we could hold in hands in public. Alas, we can't and so we hide away and have to carve out our own little sanctuaries. Being openly gay and usually single is the status quo for these spots but it's not totally exclusive. More and more, repressed and closeted men, oftentimes with a "girlfriend" or even married slide into the spaces to live their truths for a bit."
"Now, I'm not excusing infidelity. I make sure not to outwardly agree with that at any point within the song. I do, however, know there's a bigger picture and I try my best to paint all of that. How must a woman feel knowing that her man is secretly gay? All the feelings of insecurity and failure that must be running through her head is staggering. The resentment, the confusion, the betrayal - the list is never ending. What about the guy? He wants to be himself but can't out of fear of hurting people he cares about, societal pressures and the frightening realisation of what may happen to him as an outed homosexual in a small rural town. They're all huge, heavy things and nobody wants to open that can of worms. Nobody involved. Nobody witnessing. Nobody suspecting. It's all kept hush-hush so not to rock the boat and played out on the other side of town."
CRITICAL RECEPTIONUpon release "Other Side of Town" was met with universally positive acclaim, with many critics lauding Danse's unconventional approach to country music as well as multiple outlets branding it a worthy follow-up to "Scar Tissue". Anna Winston of
NME gave it a 5 star rating and wrote;
"If the sadly crooned and sonically subdued "Scar Tissue" became a global smash for Danse then the heights for the lyrically biting, foot-stomping tempo of "Other Side of Town" are sure to be nauseatingly dizzying for the rising star." Michael Makeba of
AllMusic also positively compared the song to "Scar Tissue" writing;
"Where his debut release saw him channel the whimsy of Fleetwood Mac, the spirits of Roy Orbison and The Beach Boys now occupy that space as Danse creates another magical fusion of past and present." Makeba then went on to highlight and commend Danse's flourishing artistry;
"Despite the switch up in sonic influence, it still sounds like what we are learning is quintessentially Danse; sharp lyrics, country charm, an effortlessly cool aura and THAT VOICE!".
Writing for
Pink News, Naomi Keough dubbed the song as
"unapologetically queer" and branded Honeyman as
"brave and daring" for writing a song about a subject matter that
"not many artists living in Trump's America would touch with a ten foot pole." Similarly, Christian Woodall of
DIY highly praised Danse for writing so eloquently and candidly about LGBTQ+ themes, opining;
"Although "Other Side of Town" doesn't exactly delve into the happiest of topics it's refreshing and reassuring to see a gay-centric track with a real depth and a gay artist being a fully rounded and realised human being. It's not all just big dicks and popper fuelled club beats." Raymond West of
Pitchfork was highly complimentary of Danse's growing artistry and developing persona as he wrote;
"Blending theatricality with sincerity, nostalgia with modernity and eloquence with a wink and a nudge, we're starting to place a handle on the somewhat elusive Danse. Thesaurus-like vocabulary, haunted baritone vocals, candidly told stories and pictures painted with vivid strokes are fast becoming hallmarks of a Danse release." West then went on to conclude his review by claiming;
"With only two releases to his name and a practically non-existent online presence, Mr. Honeyman lets his music do the talking while basking in a sea of delicious intrigue as he fast becomes one of modern day music's most interesting artists".
"OTHER SIDE OF TOWN"It's 10pm. Do you know where your husbands are?
Figured you wouldn't be acquainted with this underground bar
Cadillac tire marks on the drive left as a memento
While you step up to your stay at home wife potential
How long has it been since you last spoke to your sister?
After the pistols at dawn over your brand new mister
And you've already had the "But daddy, I love him!" fight
But do you have a niggling feeling that something ain't right?
As you start to grow ever so disenchanted
It begins to read as if he had planned it
Shrinking violet while his ego is overblown
Waiting by the window as he's going up the backroads
Nobody wants to rock the boat, fearing the capsize
Waters are looking murky, feels much safer inside
He's a family man, just waiting for the right time
He's not cold in bed, just sleeping on the wrong side
Are you willing to blind your point of view
All because you can say that he comes home to you?
You see, your man loves a different shade of spotlight
He finds his thrills amongst a secret crowd
He enjoys a particular style of nightlife
Blossoming to life when the sun goes down
Darling, I've seen it with my own two eyes
He's like a bull to a rodeo clown
You claim that home is where the heart lies
Seems he's living on the other side of townOh, ah, oh, ah, oh, rumors going 'round
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, on the other side of townYou've started to lie to yourself so convincingly
Sailing away on a little fluffy cloud of reverie
If only the reality was just as light and fanciful
And all of the secrets and lies weren't so bountiful
Way up in the air and so frightened to land
Because the truth hits hard and who'll hold your hand?
Deny it all just like he does with his own persuasion
And I get it, it will be a difficult conversation
Some of these terms aren't even in your lexicon
And when word gets out, you'll be in a perpetual panopticon
Looking, whispering, judging, waiting to cast the first stone
'Cause only true country folk know what makes a house a home
Nobody wants to rock the boat, fearing the capsize
Waters are looking murky, feels much safer inside
He's a family man, just waiting for the right time
He's not cold in bed, just sleeping on the wrong side
Are you willing to blind your point of view
All because you can say that he comes home to you?
You see, your man loves a different shade of spotlight
He finds his thrills amongst a secret crowd
He enjoys a particular style of nightlife
Blossoming to life when the sun goes down
Darling, I've seen it with my own two eyes
He's like a bull to a rodeo clown
You claim that home is where the heart lies
Seems he's living on the other side of townIt's all parties and strangers
Leather chaps and danger
When he's on the other side of town
He's found a brand new flavor
Overtaken by the vapors
But he promised that he'd settle down
He's a family man
(on the other side of town)He's not cold in bed
(on the other side of town)You see, your man loves a different shade of spotlight
He finds his thrills amongst a secret crowd
He enjoys a particular style of nightlife
Blossoming to life when the sun goes down
Darling, I've seen it with my own two eyes
He's like a bull to a rodeo clown
You claim that home is where the heart lies
Seems he's living on the other side of townYou see, your man loves a different shade of spotlight
He finds his thrills amongst a secret crowd
He enjoys a particular style of nightlife
Blossoming to life when the sun goes down
Darling, I've seen it with my own two eyes
He's like a bull to a rodeo clown
You claim that home is where the heart lies
Seems he's living on the other side of townOh, ah, oh, ah, oh, rumors going 'round
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, on the other side of townOh, ah, oh, ah, oh, rumors going 'round
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, on the other side of townOh, ah, oh, ah, oh, rumors going 'round
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, on the other side of townOh, ah, oh, ah, oh, rumors going 'round
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, on the other side of townCan Be Compared To:
