Pop experimentalist Jana Diab pours out her heart on her debut EP Season One.
With Chapter One, the 23-year-old, London-based singer songwriter Jana Diab brings us a masterpiece of emotional songwriting, giving listeners a home to see their own struggles and longings in. Her musical journey started at the tender age of ten years old when Diab moved from Cairo to London. She became enthralled by the theater and Broadway shows she used to see with her mother, prompting her to create her very own musical soundscapes inspired by them. While she grew up with Arab music as a child, her own style strays from that path, making use of more avant-garde pop ques, similar to the likes of Lorde or Saya Gray. Diab sees her dual background as an opportunity to look at life from a different perspective, challenge the status quo and ask the important questions. Her rhapsodic and uplifting nature gives us no choice but to be moved by her music and her performances. Making great strides, she combined her sheer talent into what is the biggest milestone on her musical journey yet: her debut EP Chapter One.
Jana Diab brings us an EP full of catharsis, wrapped in a melodic, yet powerful soundscape. Her debut release “Escape Plan,” which launched her onto the scene, starts off with soothing acoustic guitars and her angelic vocals. In the song she opposes looking invincible on the outside with protecting the vulnerable inner self by switching into survival mode. She emphasizes that healing takes time and we shouldn’t force the blame for our struggles down our throats. Her “Escape Plan” cinematically combines aforementioned acoustic guitars with a deep synth bass and techno elements, making for a goosebumps-inducing experience. Dubbed “an emphatic introductory statement” (“Best in Pop”) by Uproxx, the track is the perfect introduction to the EP, paving the way for what’s to come.
Alongside the single, she released a stunning music video featuring her singing in streets, stores and natural landscapes that are zooming by, possibly symbolizing her escape plan in action.
Watch the official music video to “Escape Plan” below
The highly introspective track number 2, “So Stupid,” continues the trend of combining calming guitars with dreamy synths, this time throwing vibrant percussion into the mix. Delivered under the guise of deceptively sweet-sounding vocals are piercingly emotional lyrics, transporting us to an otherworldly soundscape. The song is full of sorrow and regrets for ending up in a relationship with someone who kept lying to and fighting with her. She expresses the wish to rid herself of this heavy burden of suffering under this mistreatment and feeling stupid for falling for this person.
The beautiful visualizer to this track jumps between a gathering or a party on a balcony, with Diab seemingly excluded from it, dreamlike sequences on what appears to be dunes or hills of some sort at sunset and handheld camcorder vibes.
Watch the visualizer to “So Stupid” below
“I’ll Just Say It” dives into topics of depression and overthinking. In the song, she tries to make sense of feeling something before being able to identify a logical thought that caused it. She beautifully mirrors the overwhelming loudness of the mind, switching abruptly between the more quiet guitars and sudden loud outbursts of instruments. This quiet-loud-quiet dynamic makes the experience highly relatable, adding yet another track listeners can easily identify with.
The music video only emphasizes that, showing Diab in a variety of moods and situations, once again making use of handheld recordings and fast cuts, making the experience all the more immersive.
Watch the official music video to “I’ll Just Say It” below
The final track of the EP of the same name “Season One,” perfectly closes with the beloved acoustic guitars, mixed with techno elements. It covers several life lessons such as giving it your all, but still encountering obstacles and sometimes having to fight alone. Going over missed chances and new opportunities, the track makes use of energetic rap elements, as well as more melodic vocal sections, masterfully combining this back and forth into a uniquely powerful single you don’t want to miss out on.
The final music video sees Diab in a forest scene at night, illuminated by a bright spotlight, as well as on what appears to be a raft of some sort, with the added intriguing element of a lamp one would expect to find in grandma’s living room.
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