Willow Raye is a pop artist and songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA who started writing songs in High School. Currently working on the release of her debut EP, she has dropped her first single entitled, “Déjà Vu”. Music is the opportunity to hear the call for love and empathy. Nearly every serious artist has in some way discussed their personal journeys and feelings, while dealing with their relationships – either enduring or short-lived. Now Willow Raye joins the conversation, with her brand new single, refreshing the age-old theme for new listeners. With how well-crafted and succinct this track feels, you can tell that Raye has the potential of a pop hit-maker.
Vocally, Willow Raye peaks her voice like rays of sunlight crossing the crisp air of the sky. She feels simultaneously light and girded to the ground like a tree blowing in a breeze. “Déjà Vu” sounds like a like an extremely confident display of herself, which is what every artist wishes to achieve on their debut.
The balance between emotional rawness and mass appeal is instantly apparent. Every synth and bassline motif, steams and simmers under the sultry utterings of a Raye’s sensual voice. Whether she is reminiscing, longing for, or dancing upon her desires, Raye wants to emote her lyrical story, and she does so successfully here.
Using the luscious synth-waves of modern electronic pop to captivate listeners, and place them in her envisioned story of love and lust, Willow Raye knows how to dive deep into real emotions to create powerful music. Though short and sweet, Raye takes no time to tell her fascinating story in “Déjà Vu”.
Honesty is her greatest strength in this track, as it’s not always an element shown in a similar situation, and in the same way, by many female artists. How many girls do you know, make a candid statement like: “I know I just met you, but I’m falling in lust.” That’s usually been the age-old, clichéd male prerogative – girls fall in love, men fall in lust.
Willow Raye’s declaration of inner bliss makes for a mellow and captivating anthem. While she sings about her extreme complicity and compatibility with another individual, we never quite know what the final outcome of that situation was on “Déjà vu”. Moreover, the music is enticing and suspenseful, adding to the song’s already intriguing predisposition.
Recently Raye did clear up some of the track’s mystery, by declaring she felt so connected to the song’s protagonist that she could only describe the sensation as knowing him in a previous life: “Deja Vu is about reliving the rush of lust, it’s about feeling something most of us ignore,” Raye went on to say.
Produced by Aleksei, the unobtrusive instrumental lets her vocals shine brightly, Willow Raye’s aptitude for making the personal pop-friendly, is spotlighted very well in her songwriting here. Her follow-up EP production will surely be a highly-anticipated event.
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