Love and Terror

In a world fraught with pressure, terror inevitably exerts dominance over the psyche. Since at least the 1960s, pop songs have presented love as balm for and antidote to such terror. “Under Pressure” also works through the dualism of terror and love but abandons the facile solutions of the counterculture. It advocates for love in all its forms—erotic, empathetic, spiritual, and political—without any hope of victory. “Under Pressure” stands as a love anthem devoid of transcendental guarantees; it implores a commitment to what may well be a doomed endeavor—to create a system where terror can be confronted and managed.