YONAH – Bad Dreams (2022)
Bad dreams are something that can haunt us long into our waking hours, but they can also be a source of inspiration. The latter is what YONAH found when he started having dreams about his past relationships while living with a friend in a hotel abroad. After waking from one of these dreams, he grabbed his guitar and was able to quickly write the aptly titled single ‘Bad Dreams’.
After writing the song in around an hour, he started tracking the next day and finalised the song in a couple of weeks. This has inspired a new era for his music as he taps further into the darker side of his thoughts. While not his first release, the single is one of the first full songs that he has fully produced on his own.
‘Bad Dreams’ draws you into a shadowy dreamscape through the opening. There is a darkness to the notes that rise and fall around you like shadows cast by a flickering flame. It is an interesting melody that uses a steady progression of beats to beckon you further into the soundscape, before hitting you with the solid flow of the chorus. There is a depth to the music that has you feeling like you are above an endless abyss. The brighter tones that sparkle against the darkness are a glittering touch that brings a new texture to the sound. Every element of the melody comes together for an immersive flow that swirls around you like the smoky tendrils of bad dreams that try to lead you astray as you attempt to work through them. As the single progresses, new elements make their way into the sound, keeping you hooked as you never quite know what is going to happen.
Slinking through the shadows of the melody are YONAH’s vocals that curl around your ankles and tug at your clothing to gain your attention. There is an intimate feeling to his performance in the opening verse as he leads you through a nightmare and the thoughts that they leave you with. In the chorus, his performance expands, covering the entire soundscape with a haze of darkness. As the single heads into the second half, his performance swings to bring the hit of the lyrics to your chest. A heart-racing moment slides into an admission of being terrified, through the echoes of the vocals.
YONAH beckons you into the shadows world of ‘Bad Dreams’ through the flickering tones of the melody and a vocal performance that slides from intimate to fearful. Each element of the single has been perfectly crafted to bring the darkness of nightmares to life. A beautiful showcase of his new sound, it leaves you yearning for some more of his dark side.
