Casey Sana – Maliblu (2021)
With the growth of online media and the need to adhere to celebrity culture, many artists build an image that might not be truthful. The flair, feistiness and attitudes are often a figment of our imaginations, yet we want to reach that goal. Who wants to be Emma Watson…well, not me but I bet there are millions based on her reputation and looks. Casey Sana says stuff that and be yourself.
Literally hiding their face, Casey Sana shrouds themselves in a veil of mystery. If you don’t know them, then there are no pre-conceived expectations. Pretty cool, right?
Having formed in 2020, they are a relatively new artist on the scene but, regardless of their “newbie-ness” Casey Sana is gaining international recognition. Featured on Nagamag, YMX, iHeart Radio and various other media, they have a reputation for uniqueness, innovativeness and engaging lyricism. One of the more recent additions to their repertoire is the single ‘Maliblu’.
Following their mainstream pop single ‘Allahlujah’, ‘Maliblu’ adopts a dream-pop meets alternative rock sound. While there is a presence of steady drums and dynamic guitars, the track prompts an ethereal ambience with underlying synths/keys. Plunging you into a hazy swirl of sound, it can be difficult to keep your head when listening to the song. Its experimental nature is quite haunting with an otherworldly quality.
What I find intriguing about Casey Sana is their versatility traversing various genres from one song to the next. Moreover, ‘Maliblu’ showcases their eclecticism bringing together sounds from different styles to create a boundary-breaking single. Heavily influenced by dream-pop and filled with hushed vocal tones, one would expect this to be something in the line of 80s-pop, but this isn’t quite the case. Interspersed guitar solos insert an edgier, rockier aspect into ‘Maliblu’ which I quite enjoy.
Emotionally charged, one is taken on a journey with the music, but it is the immersion of poignant vocals that make ‘Maliblu’ an anthemic classic. Touching on issues like depression, anxiety and inner turmoil, the song is described by Casey Sana as “a metaphor for those people who appear to have everything on the surface but are secretly hurting behind their smile.” It is this depth of content that impresses me and I am eager to hear more.
In addition to their single, Casey Sana also released a music video for ‘Maliblu’. It can be seen on their YouTube channel.
For more from Casey Sana check out their Instagram and Spotify.
