On Aug. 23, 2024, the University of Connecticut’s Student Union had its first Late Night of the school year, usually held on Fridays. Many students, particularly freshmen who had just attended the class of 2028 convocation ceremony, had the choice of participating in a scavenger hunt. This involved arts and crafts activities, board games, bingo, free pina coladas, strawberry smoothies and popcorn. Attendees were also able to visit Tier III clubs for the chance to win a prize. Additionally, the movie “Top Gun: Maverick” played in the theater, and a live DJ played music outside. However, the highlight of it all was the stellar rendition of Matt Maltese’s hit song, “As the World Caves In.”
“As the World Caves In” is a song that tells the post-apocalyptic romance between two people at the end of the world due to nuclear warfare. It is super romantic and beautiful, but also quite depressing and solemn. There has been some speculation by fans that the singer is supposed to be former President of the United States Donald Trump and the love interest is supposed to be former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May. This would transform the song into a tongue-in-cheek critique of 2017’s political climate, where doomsday was constantly looming around us due to the governments’ failings.
Some fans of “As the World Caves In” choose to ignore the theory about Trump and May and simply appreciate the melodramatic (in a good way) but also all too real nuclear imagery, while embracing the people who they love whether they currently exist or not.
The lyric, “You put your finest suit on, I paint my fingernails” in the second verse is notably striking, because it shows how gender roles are being defied at the end of the world. Hypothetically, a way of looking at the lyrics is that the structure of the world has gone to ruin thanks to nuclear violence, and that includes gender roles. A more optimistic way of putting it is that the protagonist and their love interest can escape social obligations and peer pressure in terms of stifling gender roles and can express themselves in ways they appreciate more, maybe to the point of it being cathartic. Maltese sings: “We’re going out of style, babe,” after all.
All that being said, the UConn student’s rendition of the Matt Maltese song was genuinely one of the most memorable and striking things I’ve seen on-campus so far and was an excellent way to kick off the upcoming semester. The vocalist had such a unique grasp on the way they sang the song compared to the original, especially at the chorus, yet it worked incredibly well and made the song even more special, which was previously unexpected.
The Late Night karaoke audience applauded and cheered every single time the student hit the notes in the chorus. It felt like the karaoke program facilitated not only Friday night entertainment, but a genuinely supportive community within UConn where people will let others express themselves, boosting their confidence to continue being themselves.
It was obvious that the vocalist was immersed in the music, amazing so many people and bringing them all together. Arguably, not enough people were there to witness that greatness. It was one of those things where you had to be there to feel how great it was, though it’s now just a memory, and I will probably never see that person again. If you’re reading this, thank you for covering a song so incredibly special. You are indicative of how common talent can be at UConn.
Rating: 5/5
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