Danika – If You Call My Name
Danika, formerly Danika Smith, has gone full Rihanna with this standalone moniker and frankly, I’m inclined to allow it. You can’t lay claim to the name Danika unless you’re confident that you are the central Danika in the world of Danika related narratives but let me tell you – this is THE Danika. This is the one. I just image-searched all the other Danikas and you can see it in their eyes, they know they’re bit-part players.
Put your auditory nerves around ‘If You Call My Name’, the Danika’s newest single and tell me you’re not moved by the structural creativity, the directness of the idea, the warmth of Danika’s vocal in the chorus and her deadpan delivery of the verses. “You got no credit and your phone screen’s fucked so I guess it’s up to me if we’re to keep in touch…”
It speaks to a detached partner, a lover who only half-heartedly wants of you. There’s a relationship between those emotionless verses and the impassioned chorus that works to deliver that sense of hot’n'cold mixed message love. Couple all of this together with production that is both stripped back and boasting a proper groove and hell, we might just start rewriting our end of year lists. The bassline and guitar arpeggios are quite simply a joy.
She’s been at it a minute but how about you stop demanding that every artist break out with their debut single and give them the chance to mature into realized artists and we might end up with more songs like this. From her forthcoming album, out sometime, somewhere.
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