
Dejhare (pronounced Dei-Jhar) is a singer and songwriter based in San Jose, California. She first released an eponymous six-track E.P. in the autumn of 2018, which was popular. Dejhare then released her debut full length album, Unbreakable, in 2019. This brought her more acclaim and expanded her fanbase. 2020 saw the release of D7, a seven track experimental album that featured reinterpretations and dance versions of seven songs from Unbreakable. She has since released singles such as Do What You Gotta Do, Long Time No See and a five track EP, Plead The Fifth. This EP resulted in several streaming successes, notably for the songs Skeletons, Take Five and Perception.
This latest EP, Lovescape, consists of six tracks and starts with the strident and confident EDM pop of Light Up. The track encapsulates what I’d now describe as the Dejhare signature sounds, which fuses EDM production and arrangement style with a more traditional pop songwriting approach. Combined with Dejhare’s compelling, exotic vocals it creates a vibrant brand of modern pop. While her production standards have always been high, this EP feels a step up, with a real sheen and finesse to the sound.
After an atmospheric intro, Light Up soon builds into a catchy verse before an EDM snare roll breaks us into the chorus. Dejhare’s vocals here are superb, the mesmeric refrain sung over a pounding beat that gives the song a real energy. While it has the pop sound of, say, Lady Gaga, there’s also the laid back dancehall vibe of Major Lazer. Perfect for radio and the clubs, with a positive message in the lyrics, Light Up could become Dejhare’s biggest success so far.
Second track Drawn To You is just as good, a dreamy Lana Del Rey style infused with a languid Latin American/dancehall groove guaranteed to get the hips moving. The ethereal chorus melody is delivered in an enchanting way by Dejhare, whose seductive voice once again takes centre stage. Another potential single, without doubt.
Under A Spell continues the theme of romantic desire, the musical style pitched halfway between the first two tracks. Set at a similar to Drawn To You, it also features an anthemic EDM chorus with a pounding 2/4 beat and all manner of cutting edge production effects on the vocals. The lyrics capture the intoxicating of infatuation: “Under a spell of divine love…your eyes on me, your arms around me…your touch is all I need.”
The following Like A Fool is a strong lyrical contrast, capturing the emotional turmoil of a relationship gone wrong: “I’ve been lying, pretending to hide away my feelings, uncertain on how to go from here…”. Although the tone is melancholy, there’s a catharsis to the superb chorus that feels like a release and the finely sculptured vocal melody , Dejhare near the top of her considerable range, helps to make this an understated gem of a song.
Fifth track Nobody stands out immediately with its 80’s style arpeggio synth riff which acts as a good melodic hook throughout the song. Indeed, the whole song has an 80’s vibe, a style which has been coming back into the mainstream recently. The melancholy yet highly memorable chorus is full of strong hooks, especially the “you’re no good, you’re no good” refrain. An excellent song with perhaps the finest vocal performance on the whole E.P.
Lovescape concludes with the well crafted Going Solo. It’s a return to the simple but very effective dancehall style, this one containing an empowering and inspiring message about moving on from a relationship. Dejhare delivers another captivating performance and hypnotic chorus melody, the title hook quickly sticking in the mind. It’s a suitably positive message on which to end and a fantastic E.P. finale.
Overall, Lovescape is a superb collection of modern pop tracks that fuse EDM and dancehall production with great pop choruses and meaningful lyrics. Dejhare has now refined her style and songwriting to a high level and Lovescape constitutes her best release so far. With several potential hit singles to choose from, Dejhare’s star will surely continue to rise.