MC Couper’s new single “DAYUMM” is loud and instantly addictive. But behind the kuthu beat and swagger lies something far more personal. The song is rooted in his own anxiety and the strange mix of self-doubt and self-belief that every artist carries.
When we spoke, he described the song as a kind of internal conversation, a moment where he finally recognised his own growth. “One day I looked in the mirror and felt like I was genuinely confident about my craft now,” he said. “There used to be a time when I doubted myself. I had major imposter syndrome. But I have travelled enough and performed enough to know that I am equipped to handle what comes my way. The fear is still there, but I realised it is that same fear that pushes me to work harder.”
That understanding became the emotional core of MC Couper’s DAYUMM.
The track begins almost like a silent prayer, and then, with the switch of a beat, it bursts into swagger and percussion. It mirrors what Couper feels every time he steps on stage. “Before a performance, I overthink and get miserable,” he admitted, laughing at himself. “I cannot chill, I cannot do anything. My whole mind gets stuck on that one upcoming show. But the second the adrenaline hits on stage, everything changes. The confidence kicks in and I know exactly what I’m doing.”
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How MC Couper’s DAYUMM Was Created
The song began during a casual jam session with ABRAW, one of Couper’s closest creative partners.
“ABRAW played a few beats, and I immediately wanted it to be in the kuthu genre,” he said. “My flow is very percussive, and kuthu has that chopped-up energy I love. The moment I heard it, it felt like a celebration of myself.”
They finished the song in a matter of days. When his team at Altplus heard it, they were already racking their creative brains. The rollout, the visuals, and the marketing all began to take shape naturally, which Couper says is a first. “This is the most consolidated rollout we have done. Everything aligned perfectly.”
The Visual Identity for MC Couper’s DAYUMM
The visual aesthetic of “DAYUMM” grew out of a very basic idea of capturing Couper in a space that feels honest. Creative director Hrithwik suggested shooting at Couper’s own home, transforming the space with colour, lights and a playful, quirky setup that reflected the tone of the track.
“We wanted something fun and authentic and very me,” Couper said. “Once the lights went up, even I couldn’t recognise my own house. And the ideas Hrithwik came up with were so quirky and so full of life. It felt like a tiny dynamite exploding in a small room.”
The reel, which now serves as the core promotional visual for DAYUMM, captures him in his most natural state.
The Team That Keeps Him Grounded
Couper speaks warmly of his Altplus team, who have become central to the rollout of DAYUMM.
“These guys feel like my school friends,” he said. “When we shoot, I am often the one doing the least amount of work. They tell me to just sit and chill while they run around with cameras and gear. Once they commit to an idea, they go all in.”
He shared one particularly memorable story from a shoot in Aluva. “Our creative director found an abandoned twenty-two-storey building for a photoshoot. I hadn’t slept and eaten much that day, and when I heard we had to climb it, I said no chance. But we climbed anyway. It was raining, and we had to shoot indoors first, then on the terrace. I almost died on the way up, but once I saw the photos, it was totally worth it.”
What Comes After MC Couper’s DAYUMM
Following “DAYUMM,” Couper has a packed release schedule. Years of writing have built up into a catalogue waiting to see daylight. He has plans to drop three more songs, Mannira, made in collaboration with dynamic musician Loozmathai, Chaappa Kurishu, and Karuppu.
“Mannira is a happy, reflective track,” he said. “Very different from my usual sound. Even non–hip-hop listeners will vibe with it.” Chaappa Kurishu is a track he sat on for more than a year without writing a line. “I did not know what to say that would match the weight of that production. Then one night, everything clicked. I wrote the whole song in two hours.” Karuppu, on the other hand, is his most emotionally satisfying work. “In terms of poetry and lyricism, Karuppu is my favourite. It is abstract, personal, and deeply expressive.”
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