Ben Folds - "Exhausting Lover"

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

Ben Folds is releasing some of his finest music in years, and his latest is "Exhausting Lover." The song tells a story and is a one song musical, but in the hippest way possible. Well... hip is relative when it comes to Ben Folds, after all. The song is about an... encounter with a fan in a cheap motel, but somehow it doesn't come across as overly gross or braggy. It's actually reminding me a lot of a song like "Army" off of Ben Folds Five's 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. It's a complicated song with multiple parts, and it's funny without being too jokey. It's ridiculous, but also a lot of fun.

Derek Waters of Drunk History and director of the video says of the song:

“I always have and always will love Ben Folds. But now I have a deeper appreciation for him knowing we shared similar experiences in a motel 6 with a hot wheels track and dancers dressed as animals.”

You can watch the video for "Exhausting Lover" below. What Matters Most is due out June 2 on New West Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Ben Folds, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

April 21 - Tallahassee, FL - Capital City Amphitheatre *

April 23 - Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Symphony Hall *

April 25 - Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Music Hall *

April 26 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre #

April 28 - Greensboro, NC - Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts *

April 29 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre #

April 30 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Gaillard Center #

May 30 - Chicago, IL - Orchestra Hall*

June 13 - New London, CT - Garde Arts Center ~

June 14 - Lowell, MA - Memorial Auditorium ~

June 16 - Lewiston, NY - ARTPARK Mainstage Theater ~

June 17 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center ~

June 18 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre ~

June 20 - Wilmington, DE - The Grand Opera House ~

June 22 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre ~

June 23 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre ~

June 24 - Indianapolis, IN - Rock the Ruins at Holiday Park ~

June 25 - Detroit, MI - Motor City Casino ~

June 27 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium ~

June 28 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre ~

June 30 - Onamia, MN - Grand Casino Mille Lacs ~

July 1 - Fargo, ND - Outdoors at Fargo Brewing ~

July 22 - Columbus, OH - Bicentennial Stage at the Columbus Commons *

August 2 - Bonner, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheatre *

August 4 - Park City, Utah - TBA *

August 8 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater ~

August 9 - Cedar Rapids, IA - McGrath Amphitheatre ~

August 10 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater ~

August 11 - Salina, KS - The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts ~

August 13 - Arvada, CO - TBA ~

August 15 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center ~

August 16 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern ~

August 17 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater ~

August 19 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater ~

August 20 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre ~

October 6 & 7 -  Minneapolis, MN - Orchestra Hall *

October 20 & 21 - Dallas, TX  - Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center *

November 8 - Bath, United Kingdom - The Forum ~

November 9 - Brighton, United Kingdom - Brighton Dome  ~

November 10 - Birmingham, United Kingdom - Symphony Hall ~

November 12 - Oxford, United Kingdom - New Theatre ~

November 13 - London, United Kingdom - Royal Albert Hall ~

November 15 - Gateshead, United Kingdom - Sage Gateshead ~

November 16 - York, United Kingdom - Grand Opera House ~

November 17 - Manchester, United Kingdom - O2 Apollo ~

November 18 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom - Usher Hall ~

November 20 - Dublin, Ireland - The Helix ~

November 23 - Zurich, Switzerland - Kaufleuten #

November 25 - Berlin, Germany - Admiralspalast #

November 26 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Kurhaus #

November 27 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TrivoliVredenburg - Grote Zaal #

November 30 - Paris, France - La Cigale #

December 1 - Antwerp, Belgium - De Roma #

December 2 - Dudelange, Luxembourg - Opderschmelz #

December 4 - Essen, Germany - Lichtburg #

* Orchestra Dates

~ Full Band Performances 

# Ben Folds Solo