"June" by Deza is Houston's Pop Song of the Summer
Summer amidst a global pandemic has proven to be a season of separation and uncertainty, which are two heartbreaking feelings Houston-based pop artist Deza is all too familiar with & emotionally conveys in her pop ballad of the summer, "June."
While studying music in the prestigious Lillehammer Institute of Music Production in Norway, Deza was writing, producing and releasing her own music with songs like indie pop hit, "Boy Violet" and catchy quarantine tune, "End of the World." With a one-way flight back to Texas looming in sight, Deza's summer sing-along depicts her coming-to-grips farewell to a local Norwegian boy she'd fallen in love with during her time abroad, inviting listeners to grieve (and belt) along with her.
In one of her most lyrically vulnerable songs to date, "June" portrays Deza's journey towards letting go of a newfound love while learning to appreciate every fleeting moment together. Throughout the single, Deza is constantly tormented by the end of love as she knows it as her feelings of hopelessness & desperation build up, leading to her most powerful vocal performance yet during the song's bridge.
"Where is the life I get to keep you," Deza calls out to the powers that be, pleading for a world where she may remain with her lover. She belts the words, "when it's done and it's been said, will you find me again," and listeners instantly identify with her cry to the heavens - anyone who's ever fallen in love with the right person in perhaps the wrong place/time can relate to the raw emotion in her voice as she begs for a life of happiness together. Her desperate cries soon translate into flawless vocal runs as she opens up her heart in a stunning musical show of force against the uncertainty that stands in her way.
Each note, noise and effect in this song is meticulously engineered to transport the listener to this intimate moment in Deza's life: ambient chime-like flourishes and bird chirps establish a vibrant lived-in summer setting, Elvira Lundahl's angelic harmonies in the bridge enhance the song's musical climax, and each repeated refrain reinforces the sheer catchiness & relatability of this single. The song's musical elements were composed in a collaborative international effort, co-produced by Deza & Tokyo-based producer, Alton Sato, and mixed/mastered by Philip Handeland (Fun Fact: Handeland is also the muse of this song as the aforementioned "Norwegian boy).
Earlier this week week, Deza graced fans with a jaw-dropping unplugged rendition of her summer hit "June," accompanied by the song's credited co-crafter, Lundahl, on piano. Check out her moving performance below, recorded live in Håkons Hall while still in her beloved Lillehammer, Norway.
