2024 has been a fantastic year for Asian musicians. BABYMETAL are still going strong, Beabadoobee, Audrey Nuna, Laufey, Peggy Gou, Griff, Sarah Kinsley, and ATARASHII GAKKO! all dropped huge albums, and beloved artists of their niches like yeule, ONE OK ROCK, two of the three DPRs (and endless others) all made releases in the past year, brightening listeners’ ear drums with playlists that genuinely feel fresh. Even K-Pop has been revitalised by consistent hitmakers like ATEEZ and aespa, prince of K-R&B Jaehyun answering his true calling, and stardom-worthy rookies making their mark on the industry.

Two recent debutants are here to plead their case: one delivers breezy R&B, and the other offers a hopeful love confession in a major key. 

Read more – Dane on his debut single Selfie

Don’t let his babyface deceive you. The multi-talented Dane has a voice far deeper and maturer than his age suggests, allowing for believable emotion to seep through his verses in Selfie. But that’s as macho as it gets. Dane softens all edges with a tranquillity only those born for R&B can muster; his voice is delightfully smooth, and the guitar he’s playing hums warmly, like it’s close to the ear. 

The singer uses photographic imagery in his words: a clever use of a title that could’ve just been left as is. “I tried to move on / Escaping the light, you’ve shed” illustrates his attempts to leave the figurative bright flash of the selfie camera of the girl who’s got no more time for him. Whether it’s intentional or not, the line “Can’t understand your point of view” strengthens the camera metaphor, and the true story comes to light. 

Dane easily floats into the chorus like he’s pleading the words in real-time: “Girl you just left me with your selfies / I’m empty.”  The post-chorus instrumental softens the landing like a relaxed sigh after a long day, and a bit of reverb on the second chorus is all that’s needed to intensify emotions. A bridgeless song with minimal composition needs a strong purpose if it’s to be done right, and Selfie’s hazy warmth is the perfect sampler for a bittersweet post-romance mood. It comes, it takes a soft stab at listeners’ hearts, it leaves. 

Read more – Riaan on his debut single Treat Me Better

If you need an antidote for the mellow vibe, Riaan’s Treat Me Better is the more optimistic option for your listening session; an uptempo piano tune introduces the cheery beat that doesn’t slip from high spirits for its three-minute entirety. Riaan’s smooth timbre brings an irresistible fluidity to his singing, drawing you in to sing along as he repeats in the choruses: “I’m never tired of it, tired of it yeah.”

While the title might’ve fooled you into thinking the song was a downhearted plea for affection, Riaan clarifies the meaning in the opening line: “Treat me better, you’re killin’ me softly.” He’s so enamoured – or in 2024’s terms, down bad – that he couldn’t bear to be without his muse for one moment: “Hand on my chest won’t deny it / But I want you around me forever.”

Quiet echoey synths add a dreamier feel to the happy tune. Like ice in a cocktail, they drop in something refreshing to a piece that was, honestly, already great. Synths, piano and strings bring the song to an end in pure instrumental, and it feels like a well-earnt conclusion. Riaan’s last line of his debut song, “I will be waiting for you”, teases a return, and if any of his future works are half as joyful as Treat Me Better, he’ll probably become a cheaper alternative to therapy. We can’t wait to see more of what Dane and Riaan have to offer to a music scene that values individuality.

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Written by Maddie Armstrong

Featured images © nostalgiaa Records

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}