DANIEL SEAVEY’S FRESH START

BY Katherine chung (sHE/HER)

On August 11, Daniel Seavey surprised fans with his EP, “Dancing in the Dark. The former American Idol contestant and Why Don’t We co-founder is starting fresh after getting out of a tumultuous legal battle. This project allowed him to break away from the romantic boyband ballads that used to define his stage presence. Drawing inspiration from a failed past relationship, his 7-song EP offers a revitalizing and invigorating experience, weaving a narrative of falling in love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

The majority of the tracks are upbeat and jazzy. The opening track, “Fall Into You” can be interpreted as a flashback to the beginning of his failed relationship. It begins with a deep voice-over from a man saying, “My darling, I love you to the moon and back”. This creative expression serves as Daniel’s way of conveying affection without explicitly uttering the words.

“I Tried” is the most unique track. It is a melancholy acoustic song Daniel teased on his TikTok in November 2022. In a recent interview, he said that it was one of the hardest songs to write. “The melody came easy, but the self-admittance of failure in the lyrics was something that took me quite a bit of soul searching and time. I realize you can’t fix something you broke, but I believe honesty helps.” Throughout the song, he encapsulates the sentiment of realizing that some fractures cannot be mended in a hauntingly beautiful sad song.

Fans have shown an outpouring of support for Seavey on his newest EP | COURTESY OF @RELAPSEHERRON on Twitter

The EP concludes with “Runaway”, a song that is a depiction of him running away from his ex-partner after his fault. His vocals and instrumentals beautifully blend to create a heartwrenching and realistic conclusion to the narrative. “Yeah, you hate me in the mornin', but you love me every night. And I wish I could've kept you, but the world got in the way”. These lyrics tell us that the romantic sparks only occurred at nighttime in bed. Daniel thought of her as the right person at the wrong time. But in the end, he realized she wanted something different from the relationship than he did.

“Dancing in the Dark”, emerges as a celebration of personal growth, embracing errors, and confronting oneself with candor. As Daniel embarks on his journey of being free to create whatever he wants, he is also getting ready to tour again. Ultimately, these songs are meant to be heard live in an intimate setting. You can see him on tour this fall.