Darren Waller knows plenty about athletic confidence, and he taps directly into it on “Baron Davis,” a hard-hitting tribute to the NBA great built around bravado and forward momentum.
The NFL veteran, recording artist and mental wellness advocate uses Davis as the inspiration for a track that connects his sporting background with his growing music catalogue. The accompanying video, directed by Marquis Garden and filmed in Las Vegas, cuts between Waller performing around the city and highlights from Davis’s NBA career.
It makes for a natural pairing. Davis built his reputation through an aggressive, explosive style of basketball, and Waller channels that energy into a song designed to sound equally self-assured. Rather than approaching the basketball star’s career as a retrospective, “Baron Davis” uses his name and highlights as fuel for the track’s swagger.
The single follows Waller’s “In The Valley,” a considerably more introspective release accompanied by a video filmed along California’s Big Sur coastline. Together, the two songs show different sides of Waller’s writing, moving from reflection and perseverance on “In The Valley” to the confidence driving “Baron Davis.”
They also represent Waller’s first new music since returning from NFL retirement to play with the Miami Dolphins last season. His ability to move between football and recording gives the songs an unusual context, particularly when he writes about setbacks, determination and the mentality required to keep moving.
Discussing “In The Valley,” Waller described difficult periods as places where personal growth can begin. “The ‘valley’ isn’t just a low point, it’s where the growth happens,” he said.
That philosophy makes the contrast between the two releases interesting. “In The Valley” looks inward at the work required to get through difficult moments, while “Baron Davis” captures the confidence that can exist on the other side of them. Waller is drawing from sports on both tracks, whether directly through Davis’s career or through his own experiences on the field.
“Baron Davis” is out now.