Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Zanne Hanna – In My Dreams (ft. Austin Atlas) (2023)

After picking up an acoustic guitar and beginning to write songs at the age of 13, singer-songwriter Zanne Hanna knew where her future lay. Skip ahead several years and Hanna has not stopped her creative musical journey graduating from Berklee College of Music, earning a dual degree in Music Production and Engineering and Electronic Production and Design from Boston, working in the Los Angeles audio industry, and continuing to express her emotions in cathartic melodies. It was in 2017 that Hanna began releasing original music, and has since shared her passion, authenticity and innovation with the masses.

While Hanna traipses various shades of pop in her music, a commercial pop strand underlies a diverse take on the genre. Following her well-received singles ‘Ruin’ and ‘Before I Go’, she tinges a dream-pop softness with the scorching flair of electronic accompaniments. Collaborating with multi-instrumentalist and producer Austin Atlas, known for his blending of organic and synthetic sounds, the new single has boldness and power in the production; however, the powerful electropop tones veil a vulnerable, intimate sincerity oozing through Hanna’s silvery vocals.

Tackling the issue of love and loss with a personal life experience, ‘In My Dreams’ is a melodic take on overcoming a toxic relationship. Hanna explains:

“I wrote this song at the beginning of this year when I was finally starting to process the ending of a long, toxic relationship. I had to sort out which ideas, thoughts, and opinions were mine, and what parts of my life were actually real to me. During that time, I developed OCD, and the lyrics reflect my struggles with it as well as many realisations I had in a sort of psychedelic, prose style. The bridge and outro of this song is me confronting the fact that my ex always thought nothing of me…”

Taking the desperation, angst, anxiety and inner turmoil of painful breakups, Hanna’s vocals give a sense of fragility to a somewhat melancholic song. Yet, while she resonates with listeners in an intensely intimate way, the blast of electronic beats acts as a shimmering wakefulness bringing light into her darker days. A breath of fresh air forced into her mire of despair, the influx of electropop gives ‘In My Dreams’ hopefulness, optimism and a warming sense of security.


Find out more about Zanne Hanna on her official website, Instagram and Spotify.

Find out more about Austin Atlas on his Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator