The Undercover Dream Lovers rewind time on shimmering new single ‘Prom Queen’
The Undercover Dream Lovers have released their new single, ‘Prom Queen,’ alongside an official music video. The project of Los Angeles–based musician and producer Matt Koenig, the release marks a stylistic shift from his earlier fuzzy dream-pop sound toward a more polished, synth-forward direction.
Built around glittering layers of synths, guitar accents, and swelling strings, ‘Prom Queen’ opens with the mechanical whir of a VHS tape, immediately grounding the track in a sense of lived-in nostalgia. Drawing from late ’90s and early 2000s cultural memory, the song blends indie rock and synthpop influences into a reflective piece that moves between eras and emotional viewpoints. The production emphasizes warmth and clarity, allowing melody and texture to guide the song’s exploration of youth, memory, and self-perception.
Koenig explains:
“A lot of the ideas came from reflecting on youth and nostalgia (late 90s / early 2000s), and pulling from nuclear family character types (kind of a Donnie Darko-ish lens). The song flips between an alt-punk kid who’d rather skip prom and hang with his friends, and a mother figure looking back on her own prom queen era. Ultimately it’s about perspective and letting go of the idea that you need to be seen or act a certain way to feel worthy or appreciated.”
The accompanying video, directed by Alex LaLiberté and Grant Spanier, was filmed in a run-and-gun style across various Los Angeles locations, including the former Teen Wolf set and the Mustang Motel. Visually, it mirrors the song’s emotional focus, using familiar spaces and lo-fi textures to underline themes of memory and identity.
‘Prom Queen’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, with the official video also streaming on YouTube.
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