Santos's new song, "Floodgate," is quiet, but it builds in intensity as it goes on. The hook sounds simple at first, almost like it's not there, but that's on purpose. It slowly draws us in, giving us time to get used to it before the deeper meaning starts to show. It's good that the song takes its time to build.
The track is about what happens when people stop caring about things, when systems that are supposed to help people start to hurt them instead. The artist doesn't go overboard with this, he lets the truth do the talking. The song doesn't start with much pressure, it builds over time until it can't be stopped. The slow build-up gives the song its emotional weight.
The structure is like that idea. Every second adds to the tension and gives the listener more meaning without making them feel too much. It's not about one breaking point, it's about the fact that one will happen. He makes that change clear so we can see it rather than hear about it.