There are certain people whose lives I slightly envy because of how well-traveled and cultured they are so early on in life. Considering I’ve pretty much lived in the same small town for the majority of my existence and have only been a handful of places, when I hear a story like Persian artist Daniel Javan’s, I’m surprised and a little jealous. He was born in Dubai before moving to Denmark, but he ultimately ended up living in Sweden for the bulk of his life, but it seems like all of these locations have given him a unique perspective on the world that then translates to his music.
Although his latest song “Die Alone” is my introduction to the seasoned newcomer, I was taken aback slightly by his message and individualistic style, both things that drew me in and kept me intrigued throughout the entirety of this minute and a half-long record. Featuring some assistance from his producer Chester Amor, the instrumental is brought to life through moving guitar strums, spread out, somewhat simplistic percussion, and impactful drums that match not only the desolate title of the track but also the demeanor he is giving off through his words. As he sings, there is a despondent quality within his notes that aren’t necessarily depressing per se, but they’re definitely not as hopeful or optimistic as other songs out there.
His cadence is beyond unique in the hook, starting out by stretching certain words before squeezing in a few quicker, sped up lyrics that actually play seamlessly with the hats in the production. In his verse, the beat gets a bit more simplistic which allows for his message to shine bright, despite the fact that he slightly slurs his lyrics together in a manner that gives off the impression that he’s not trying too hard, playing up the feeling of disparity that is spoken of within his lyricism. The way he swings his notes and changes the intonation of his voice depending on which part of the track you’re in seems to be natural to him and divides the record up into portions that keeps the narrative fresh while also giving a look into the different emotions he’s constantly rotating through.
I received a quote from Daniel about how the song came together, and the feelings and emotions conveyed throughout make so much sense after hearing his explanation. According to Daniel, “It started with me listening to beats and loops online, I came across this guitar loop and it caught my attention immediately. It was a few months ago when lockdown had recently been started and I had been at home away from everybody else for a while, so lines started popping up in my head about how I felt. I started writing about the loneliness and being stuck at home.” These lonely, isolated feelings are definitely things that I believe everyone has gone through at some point or another, whether they’re related to quarantine or other moments in time, making this a sad yet also extremely relatable track that is sure to resonate with listeners from all over. Daniel Javan might be a newcomer in the music scene, but he clearly has the talents that are going to take him quite a long way sooner rather than later, so make sure you get in tune with the Persian artist’s latest song “Die Alone” whenever you find some time.