The unique folk, pop, and rock recording artist, singer-songwriter, and soulful vocalist Jahnel Daliya expands on being "Haunted" by a past relationship with her refreshing new single.
Daliya's cathartic songwriting aims to find the light in this sometimes heavy but beautiful world. The mother of two felt it was her duty to lead by example and show other women that chasing your dreams is a must. With influences like Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Brandie Carlile, and Jenny Lewis, Daliya was able to create an authentic sound and stamp it as her own.
Listeners can hear elements of these influences through her latest single, "Haunted," oozing those troubling thoughts of walking down memory lane after stumbling upon an old photo of an ex. While Jahnel Daliya sings her heart out, the song's lush instrumentation brings a well-founded folk, pop, and rock sound that keeps the energy at a high.
Taking a listen to the new single, "Haunted," the track opens with a warm acoustic guitar melody that sets the song's bright yet emotional tone. As the smooth keys and drum arrangements begin to drift through our speakers, Jahnel Daliya jumps in and serenades us with her dynamic and haunting vocals that sing of her past love affair and the toll it's taken.
We love the song's light-hearted feel; although Jahnel Daliya sings a rather emotional message of searching for the calm after the storm, her performance alongside the exciting instrumentals makes for an amazingly cathartic experience. While belting each and every emotion until the very last beat, Daliya ends the song with the utmost drive and resilience.
Release those inner emotions with help from Jahnel Daliya's latest single, "Haunted," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Jahnel Daliya. We love the raw emotion and exciting feel within your latest single, "Haunted." Could you describe the moment you felt inspired to create this piece?
Believe it or not, I began writing this song about seven years ago and I’m pretty sure I was following just a fleeting moment of reminiscence. It might be a bad idea to think about past love so far into the future, but I connect so well with those hard emotions of a broken heart. If I was being honest with myself, this song was inspired by how I used to hold onto belongings from my high school boyfriend as if I wanted to have a momento to remember him by. I had a box with his baseball hat, a bracelet that I gave him and then took back from him (yeah, I was being petty) and of course, notes that he had written to me during school. They were like treasures but I eventually threw them away so I could mentally let go of him. No more things to haunt me. That was the first time I experienced heartbreak and it took me quite some time to actually get over it. I wished I had gotten to the point of accepting that it was over a lot sooner. When I did it was like I was more open and able to accept whatever came next. I wanted to write about that.
Did you work with any musicians when creating "Haunted?" What was it like creating that heavy and dynamic instrumental?
This is the very first song that I didn’t record with my usual bandmates. I wanted to keep the number of people in the studio to a minimum so I took this song to Don Godwin at Tonal Park Studio in Tokama Park, Maryland who recorded and engineered the track and also agreed to play all the percussion and bass. I described what vibe I was going for and we dove in. I think that first day I had listened to The Roots in the car..the one with Erykah Badu and Eve “You Got me” and so I wanted to bring in a little R&B while keeping it dreamy and bold. I did get one of my bandmates, Cynthia Marie, to come to add some keys. Her style of playing is so complementary and she knows where to let the keys build and when to let them linger. I love to play with musicians who can take what I have and just add their own interpretation of what they feel.
Why did you want to give "Haunted" such a bright and bold tone? How does this enhance your lyrical message?
This song is not supposed to be about heartbreak, it’s about what comes after. There are a lot of major chords but the addition of a few minor chords is meant to reflect the mixed emotions we’re bound to feel when making heavy decisions like ending a relationship. I want the lyrics to commiserate with the raw feelings while gently empowering the desire to move on and move forward which is what has to happen anyway. This song is saying it’s okay to miss something that you let go of. It’s okay to want to be okay moving on.
What impact do you hope to leave on your audience after they hear "Haunted?" What do you want them to take away from the song?
I hope that after hearing this song, my audience will feel validated, empowered, and inspired. I hope by the end of the track they trust their gut when they make the best decision for their life journey.
What's next for you?
Well next! The music video for this track drops on January 28th, the day before my birthday which was intentional. Nothing like turning another year older and reflecting on all your past choices which lead me to where I am. I intentionally started the year with ”Haunted” as the first release, a song about making a choice and feeling confident, to set the tone for a promising new year. At least that’s how we feel when the year begins, so much hope. The theme for 2022 for me is “Choice” and I’m planning to explore this ( along with relationships ) in single releases and music videos over the next 11. I feel like a song can be interpreted by the listener, but sometimes the video shows the artist’s more direct vision and intention. Also, I just like making videos with people who like to make things.