Yasi Davy – Reunion
Release Date: December 03, 2022
Label: River Psyche Records
Format: Single | Digital
Duration: 05:14
Genre: Electronic Pop / Indie Pop
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Yasi Davy, a singer of Iranian origin, adds another chapter to her monumental ‚Reunion‘ story.
The cryptical atmosphere behind Yasi Davy’s art is not exactly surprising taking into consideration her cultural background. I cannot state it as a fact but analyzing the lyrical baggage it becomes noticeable that Yasi cares much about freedom, healing from trauma, and empowerment. Moreover, the latest iteration of ‚Reunion‘ features a remix in Persian – and the singer straightly dedicates it to the women around the world who fight for their rights, with a certain focus on the current Iranian protests.
The change is obvious in the later material from Yasi. The development that happened since the earlier releases are documented in the „Souls on Fire“ compilation album, which includes all the songs that were recorded by Yasi. The starting point of her singing career captures the more simplistic yet convincing songwriting. The unique singing style blends something from the likes of Lana Del Ray’s ‚Born To Die‘ in terms of vocals, the intimacy and wokeness of Madonna’s ‚Ray of Light‘, and sometimes even a pinch of Sinead O’Connor’s provocativeness. All that and a lot of vocal processing, plus occasional use of Folk elements produce the album with truly a strong zeitgeist – cultures mixed on the edge of epochs, reinventing the woman as an artist and manifestor. That album also features ‚Bullet Through My Heart‘, interesting experimentation with different styles of Breakbeat and Drum’n’Bass, and more Pop than spiritual approach (Yasi proclaims that track as her hit on her website); it is a hit indeed, a real earworm and absolutely reflects the Pop trends of the late 2000s. Still, I personally find ‚Dressed to Kill‘ way more impressive as an anthem for the strong and the independent queens, and each time I see that photo from Yasi’s website the song just starts playing in my head.
It’s easy to notice that the second part of the album is way faster: the tempos are rising, the moods are shifting to the territory of Nelly Furtado and Britney Spears sometimes (check out ‚Forever More‘ and ‚Under My Skin‘). Musical variety increases with the inclusion of strings and approaching classic Pop percussion. ‚If This was a Lovesong‘ offers an edgy take on mandatory ballad number. And ‚Cobra‘ sums everything up in a glitchy ourobros, making the beginning and the closing parts of the album meet in an experimental Pop song worthy of Grimes and The Knife.
But all that should just be considered as an intro to the ‚Reunion‘ releases – of which the first part arrived in 2017. It includes three previously released songs (‚Souls on Fire‘, ‚Otherside‘, and ‚Magdalene‘), remixed in a lighter way, with more focus on vocals and a mystical atmosphere. ‚Demigod‘ is the only new track, also based on a mid-tempo melody and a lot of vocalization and sound effects. This recollection of Yasi’s works and the new mastering shows her significant lean to the New School Pop music scene.
Now stay with me. The newest single from 2022 under the name ‚Reunion‘ is the first release that contains the self-titled track ‚Reunion‘. For now, this is the top display of Yasi’s songwriting and performing talent, highlighting her distinctive style. Powerful, deep singing, slow keyboard melody with a taste of Sade. The chorus part is extremely memorable, simply burns into the brain.
‚Reunion‘ is about finding peace with all the parts that are welded in one’s personality and acceptance. Redemption that is achieved through experience. And it also should be viewed through the lens of social justice as it is related to ongoing protests in Iran where a young woman was killed by the police due to the supposed breaking of shariah. The remix in Persian underlines that aspect and turns the song into somewhat close to a guerilla romance, once popular among the freedom fighters of the past.
‚Reunion‘ saga is a wholesome experience, hinting at a bright future for an emerging artist under the name of Yasi Davy. Deep powerful vocals, spectacular appearance, and attention to the question of what it means to be a human – all of that put Yasi on the map of big modern Pop singers.
It’s a dark and beautiful time. But it has always given fertile soil for true artists. And for that I am thankful.
Text by Dmitriy Churilov
All picture by courtesy of Yasi Davy
