- Bryon Harris
Denjamin - 'Trouble'
Denjamin is a young, up-and-coming female singer-songwriter and producer hailing from London, Canada. The 21-year old artist writes and produces all of her original music. Denjamin entered the music arena as a classically trained opera singer. Over time, she came to the realization that opera wasn't for her and decided to pursue her passion for progressive pop music . Her latest single, "Trouble" is solid proof that she made the right move.
"Trouble” is a very engaging song that is both simple and complex. It comes from the same vine as the music of artists like Billie Eilish, drawing you in with an eerie melodic vibe. There are some interesting instruments used in the arrangement such as the lead bell part. The drum beat starts off in an off-sync rhythm with the bells, yet it slowly creeps into a rhythmic feel that is consistent through the rest of the song. The production features lots of echoes and reverb that go well with the vibe that the song is creating. When the Bridge comes in, it’s expected; but the change in synth pad is not expected and that is what makes this section even cooler. It has a brighter sound than the rest of the song. In the end, the song feels like it could fade out; however, it doesn’t fade; instead it ends with an imaginative and haunting bell tag line.
The song has a universal theme that speaks to anyone who feels that they are in their own way. The cool thing about how Denjamin does this is that she makes it out like it’s a toxic relationship. Lines like, “you’re the trouble in my way,” and, “the way you look at me every night” make it sound like it’s someone else in her way. She's not just putting the fact out there that she is in her own way and annoyed with herself. The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways by the listener. It kind of relates back to songs like Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”. In that song, Eilish portrays herself as the villain, and in this song it’s a twist because the artist is the antagonist in her own story. She doesn’t want to be; however, she can’t get out of her own way.
"All this trouble’s in my way wreaking havoc on my brain / And I could lie and say I don’t know what the cause is / But we don’t show that we both know / That it’s you when the lights go down and it’s you when the sun comes out ."
Denjamin may be a very new artist in the scene, but her sound is very developed. Her music is creative and interesting. Songs like "trouble" have will appeal to those looking for something outside the mainstream box that their ear can dig into. Her writing is not straight forward and becomes up to interpretation to the listener, which is a genius technique that allows the song to reach a wider audience. “Trouble” is an amazing song with lots of unique aspects that will certainly set a path for Denjamin's fan-base to catch on fire.