Originally from Rio de Janeiro, the London-based singer-songwriter and explorative artist Mateus de Sá releases his delicate lo-fi acoustic single, "this darkness too shall pass."
Since his first release in 2019, Mateus de Sá has developed a unique and emotive hybrid sound, exploring genres like folk, pop, r&b, and hip-hop. With influences like Bon Iver, Kanye West, Jon Bellion, and Jai Paul, it's no secret that Mateus de Sá's music offers something for anyone to hold and cherish.
Expanding on his latest emotional single, "this darkness too shall pass," this song is genuinely a needed breath of fresh air.
While Mateus de Sá explores an alternative-folk and lo-fi bedroom-pop sound, his slightly filtered vocals create this dense space that falls through our speakers as gracefully as a summer's rain.
"this darkness too shall pass" opens with soft acoustic guitar picking and samples of rainfall. While the acoustic introduction takes up a good quarter of the song, it truly sets the emotional and deep tone for the rest of the song to follow. Mateus de Sá softly begins singing an ode to the dreaded pandemic while touching on hope for a better future.
About halfway through the piece, a warm lo-fi beat kicks in and accompanies Mateus de Sá's filtered vocals while he continues singing of regretting his introverted ways when social gatherings were an everyday occurrence. Reaching the song's end, we float into bliss with each tender, delicate, and calming sonic/instrumental aspect.
Float along with Mateus de Sá and his latest single, "this darkness too shall pass," now available on all streaming platforms.
We truly admire the genuine emotion and relatable themes you’ve placed into your single, “this darkness too shall pass.” What inspired you to create an ode to our struggles amid the pandemic?
For me, like for many others, the past year has been a period of difficulties and hardship. However, it has also made me more acutely aware of all the things which I am so fortunate to have in my life, and how important it is to treasure these blessings, given that everything is always so uncertain and constantly changing. “this darkness too shall pass” has been a great way for me to put my thoughts into words and into music, both reflecting on the struggles that the pandemic has brought upon our lives, but also remaining hopeful and firm on the belief that this darkness, much like everything, shall pass – there are better days ahead.
We’re truly head over heels for your emotional lyricism within “this darkness too shall pass.” Was it difficult to write such genuine and honest lyricism for this single? Or is this something you’re rather familiar with?
“this darkness too shall pass” was definitely a new style of lyric writing which I hadn’t tried before. All my songs come from a personal place, but “this darkness too shall pass” is the most honest song I’ve written yet, and I allowed myself to be as introspective and vulnerable as I wanted to be in its lyrics. It was refreshing and therapeutic to be so emotionally open with this tune, and I hope the song’s emotional sincerity resonates with listeners.
How did the sonics and instrumentals for “this darkness too shall pass” come about? Did you start with a jam session, or did you initially have ideas for where you wanted to take the track sonically?
The first thing I came up with for “this darkness too shall pass” were the chords that underpin the song. After playing around with them for a while, I thought of the melodies and lyrics, knowing that I wanted to write an honest reflection on life during the pandemic. I settled on recording the song with a fuzzy lo-fi Indie Folk / Bedroom Pop sound, given how intimate and truthful those songs often feel to me. After that, it was just a matter of adding some bass and percussion to the mix, and most of the song was pretty much done – I wanted the track to be somewhat stripped-back, to give the central guitar and vocals room to breathe.
Are soothing and emotional songs like “this darkness too shall pass” a staple for you? Or was this your first time around creating something so profound, genuine, and moving?
I think all of my songs tend to have a strong emotion behind them. I put my feelings into my music and so I feel they all come from a genuine emotional place, regardless of what emotion that may be. I wouldn’t say soothing and emotional songs are a staple of my music though, at least not intentionally. The artists I most look up to are constantly exploring new sounds, styles, and moods, and this is what I enjoy doing in my own music as well. I had a great time working on “this darkness too shall pass” as it is my most honest and vulnerable song yet, and I’m excited to explore this style further in the future.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got lots and lots of music in the works, which I’m excited to release throughout 2021, as well as collaborations with other upcoming artists. I’m also working on a larger project, so hopefully, my first album will be out soon as well!