Somebody get a napkin or a towel. I need to wipe my face after guzzling multiple servings of one of the most refreshing sounds to cross my ears in months. Martha Da’ro, a Brussels-based recording artist, is serving on every level with the release of her latest EP, Cheap Wine & Paris. The five-track, 15-minute project is a wonderful taste-test for anyone, including myself, just getting into her music. Cheap Wine & Paris was released on February 28, 2020.
You know you’re not settling for another regular Pop song and this isn’t your parent’s vision of Hip-Hop. Da’ro, like her Spotify bio accurately suggests, is “blending dreamy pop with hip-hop.” To have a better understanding of what that actually means, here is a case-study:
“Let Me,” produced by Ashley Morgan, is the perfect song to discuss from Cheap Wine & Paris. It has everything we now expect from Da’ro: a captivating beat that tugs at the soul of listeners near and far, and Da’ro’s sweet and melodic voice which serves as the vessel to traverse as many genres as she wants.
The intro to this song makes for a spaced-out, urban adventure, as an eerie siren-like noise holds you in place while the bass and other various sounds create the rest of the atmosphere. For any of our readers that indulge in cannabis, listening to “Let Me” is almost as good as getting high. The long key with only two note variations, found cozy under all the noise, is the high. The bass, along with all the pops and dings which can be heard throughout Da’ro’s project, serve as outside factors trying to ruin said high. The chorus for the song goes, “Let me dream a little dream for me,” which could be interpreted as someone wanting to be left alone while their mind wanders away from the troubles of their body.
Cheap Wine & Paris is like that in its entirety. Not so much the underlying presence of a weed anthem, but the ability to hear the music for what it wants to say, not just how it sounds. With an ambiguous sound, listeners will not hear just another pop song, or trap beat. Real art is being shared with you, and as I deciphered “Let Me,” you must find your hidden meaning when you give the tape a listen.
Don’t worry if you can’t come up with a profound meaning under Da’ro’s artistry. It is still beautiful music, bound to make you feel something. And if it wasn’t obvious before, with an explicit mention necessary, Cheap Wine & Paris is a great choice in music to light one up to. Head to her Spotify now to check out her latest drop and more!