Photo Courtesy of Ryan Schopfer
Up-and-coming pop artist Deza offers something that’s often sorely missed in today’s mainstream: genuineness. A self-described pioneer of “poetic pop” whose latest work has delved into musical “maximalism,” Deza spares no expense in conveying her raw feelings and unfiltered thoughts.
Her June 30 release, “June,” is a colorful and wistful ode to a relationship that could have been. Deza’s vivid, self-aware lyricism paints a concrete, emotionally striking picture of the experiences that inspired the song: after a year of living overseas, she ponders, “In my head I’m on that jetway, wondering how to stop an airplane,” wanting to “sink my body into pavement,” as if to permanently cement her place with the lover who captured her heart. The musical landscape, too, conjures up a recollection of the past; the elaborate but nonetheless precise production, paired with Deza’s measured and delicate vocal performance, evokes the pop music of the early 2010s, in the style of Katy Perry and Selena Gomez with hints of Imogen Heap and Florence + the Machine. The song’s bright, resonant pulses of understated synths complement Deza’s frothy upper range in the pre-choruses, while blunt, staccato thuds of hard-hitting bass empower the moments where her rich belt shines through. This sonic contrast underscores the song’s general message of mixed feelings, the gripping conflict between the joyful gratefulness that a romantic connection ever came to fruition and the crippling regret that it ever has to come to an end. The instrumental buildup throughout the song undergirds a gorgeous parallel to the spark of romance itself: the relatively bare first verse paves the way for the full, satisfying choruses, only to end up at the haunting bridge, with discordant vocal harmonies and increasingly painful repetitions of “Where is the life I get to keep you?” That final cry is made all the more tragic by the real barriers that now stand in the way of her seeing her loved one again. Despite the heartbreak of the lyrics, Deza’s powerful voice provides contrasting joyful melodies that disguise the gripping sadness with the summer flavors of June.
