Nothing unsettles a Trump supporter quite like seeing their president turned into an IRL caricature, whether it's a floating baby balloon or a piñata styled in his likeness. You'll find one of those in "Toyota Man," the long-awaited new song from Alan Palamo's synth-pop project Neon Indian. Palamo sings in Spanish for the first time, and the song's joyful and psychedelic vibe are pure honey for the urgent pro-immigrant activism underpinning the lyrics. Watch Palamo's self-directed music video above, and read his staetment on the clip below:
“Toyota Man” was filmed along the road map of what essentially was my path to American citizenship: Monterrey, the Nuevo Laredo border, San Antonio, and finally Austin. The process is a multiple decade commute known by many Latinos and other Americans. Though my music has always been generally apolitical, I realized when recording this song that it was impossible to write biographically (in the rhetorical context of the Trump administration) without being entirely that: political. The story of my family, which before felt commonly American, was suddenly politicized. Recognizing the absurdity of it all, I thought it would be refreshing to address the social narrative around immigration through comedy — nods to Benny Hill, misremembered San Antonio car commercials, and School House Rock. My family and I had a ton of fun making this and I hope it’s equally as fun to watch. Enjoy!”
