Divergent Step Away From Hard Rock and Into Heartbreak on “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)”

For a band built on speed, grit, and classic hard rock adrenaline, Divergent’s newest release feels surprisingly vulnerable. “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” trades roaring engines for emotional hesitation, revealing a softer and far more introspective side of the trio without losing the cinematic weight that made their earlier material stand out.

And honestly, the risk pays off.

The song marks a major stylistic shift for the veteran rock group, leaning heavily on vintage soul, Motown-inspired melodies, and dreamy R&B textures rather than the hard-driving energy of previous tracks like “Rev It Up” and “Runnin’ Free.” But instead of sounding like a band abandoning their identity, it sounds like musicians finally giving themselves permission to explore every corner of it.

Formed by lifelong friends James Richards, Mike McAlister, and Paul Richards after reconnecting decades later, Divergent already carries a sense of history in their music. That emotional maturity becomes the backbone of “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad),” a track less interested in fantasy romance and more interested in the fear that comes before genuine emotional intimacy.

Musically, the record feels warm and immersive. Dreamlike piano chords drift across a steady groove while lush harmonies and subtle cymbal crashes give the song an almost floating sensation. There’s a timelessness to the production that feels intentionally old-school without sounding trapped in nostalgia. The Motown influence is obvious, but the emotional uncertainty running through the lyrics gives the track a more modern emotional tension.

That tension largely revolves around the phrase “want to.”

https://youtu.be/vIAv9tlOXrU?si=tbm8ziRou4PR_Qjg

It’s a subtle but important distinction. The narrator isn’t declaring love outright. He’s wrestling with the desire for it while simultaneously questioning whether vulnerability will actually be reciprocated. Lyrics centered around feeling unseen and emotionally distant give the song a bittersweet emotional core underneath all the warmth and melody.

The accompanying lyric video deepens that atmosphere beautifully. Created alongside HIP Video Production, the visuals lean into abstract light patterns, soft darkness, and drifting textures that mirror the emotional suspension inside the song itself. Even in its heavier moments, though, there’s still optimism lingering beneath the surface.

That’s what makes the release work so well. “I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” isn’t about perfect love. It’s about wanting connection badly enough to risk disappointment anyway.

“I Really Want To Love You (So Bad)” feels like a massive departure from your earlier hard rock material. What pushed you toward this more soulful direction?

James: There wasn’t anything specific that pushed us toward a more soulful direction.  We are very open to creative freedom, and it’s more a reflection of that, which allows us to move in different directions.  All three of us in Divergent have the musical ability and the experience to move across a broad musical palette.  That’s why we named ourselves “Divergent” because we enjoy diverging musically across genres. It’s just more fun and engaging to diverge now and then and expand our creativity.  Make no mistake, the hard rock lane is the bedrock of Divergent, and we will always love to rock hard and loud. However, we don’t want to confine ourselves to a tiny box musically.  We love music, and we love creativity, so our creativity will, from time to time, present itself in different ways.  Kind of like a band we love called The Beatles! 

Mike: When I heard the original demo, I picked up on a slower tempo and immediately thought about an R&B kind of feel. In my mind, the lyrics are more in the ballpark of a slower love song, and I have always liked that style of music. Knowing that James can sing anything, I thought it would be worth trying out a different kind of bassline than we have on most of the other songs we have recorded. As the song came together in rehearsal and in the studio, we could tell it was definitely going to be different than many of our other songs.  

The phrase “want to” completely changes the emotional meaning of the song. Was that hesitation always central to the writing?

James: Yes, the hesitation is the essence of the song.  The hesitation reflects the uncertainty of the narrator to reveal his true feelings.  That’s because the love he is feeling is so massive and powerful that he knows he is on the edge of a profound, life-changing event.  To be sure, he is also fearful of being rejected, but deep in his soul, he feels a connection that is so deep that in the end, he knows he will end the limbo of hesitation by taking a huge leap of faith because he is so deeply in love.  

Reuniting after decades of playing together adds a unique emotional layer to the band. How has life experience changed the way you approach songwriting now?

James: That’s a great question! Mike and I started playing together in our early teens.  We learned our instruments together and helped each other along the way as good friends and bandmates.  You really don’t find that a lot.  I think that as older adults, we prize the bonds we achieved as teenagers coming of age together.  That’s the unique emotional layer that still bonds us today.  As a songwriter, age has its perspective. I have more life experience now, and that gets reflected in my songwriting in a way that it couldn’t when I was much younger.  

The Motown and R&B influences feel very intentional throughout the production. Which artists or records helped shape the sound of this release?

James: Well, believe it or not, as the songwriter, the Motown and R&B  influences that are in the song were not intentional. I didn’t sit down and decide that I wanted to write a Motown-sounding song. I came up with a beautiful chord progression that evoked in me a feeling of deep, unbearable love. One thing led to another, and when I wrote the music for the chorus, the Motown feel really came out.  I recognized it right away. As an artist, I’ve listened to decades of music that has been unconsciously implanted in my brain. Fortunately, I’m a very open-minded person, and I’ve exposed myself over the years to a lot of different styles of music and experiences. I can’t imagine trying to be a creative person and having a closed or rigid mind. During my songwriting sessions, it’s not uncommon for my musical ideas to happen unintentionally or unconsciously. I prefer that. When I sit down to write, oftentimes I don’t even want to know what chords I’m playing. I rarely think about music theory or genres; I just want to fill in a blank canvas with colors of sound that reflect the mood I’m in or a particular emotion that I’m trying to evoke. So I can’t point to a specific artist who influenced my writing of the song.  It was more of an unconscious thing for me, based on decades of music listening stored in my brain.

Mike: I remember when the songs by the Temptations that came out in the 60’s and ’70s had some slower hits. More recently, I found that ‘Just My Imagination’ had a similar feel, and I suspect it influenced my thought process. I have also admired James Jamerson’s bass lines and the influence he had on Motown in that era and beyond. Marvin Gaye and many of the other artists had James as their bassist , and he helped define the Motown and R&B sound as much as anyone. We stand on the shoulders of the giants and feel privileged to emulate some of their vibe.      

A lot of modern love songs focus on certainty or obsession, but this track lives more in emotional doubt. Why was it important to explore that emotional gray area instead of straightforward romance?

James: Well, believe it or not, the song is based on a true story. That’s the way the story happened in real life. I’m just telling the story the way it happened at that particular moment. I know, because I personally lived it! The thing you don’t know is how it all turned out. I have more songs that delve into that. So stay tuned!