DEON’s latest single, ‘Melancholic Weekends’ pays homage to joy

Singapore’s maestro and veteran singer-songwriter DEON has announced the release of ‘Melancholic Weekends’, a collaboration single together with local vocalist, NyaLi. The single will be made available on all digital streaming platforms on 28 January 2022, Friday.

Substantially more upbeat as compared to his releases in the recent months, the tune is contrasted against its emotional lyrics. ‘Melancholic Weekends’ transpired during a time DEON was nursing his aging dog, Joy, who had to be let go due to organ failure. This paralleled similar experiences of loss during the pandemic, and is a reflection of the songwriter’s mechanism in coping with emotions of anguish and grief when produced in 2021.

On collaborating with NyaLi, DEON shares,”I first met NyaLi back when we were in school together, and I have been witnessing her growth as a musician through the years. We reconnected when the pandemic brought her home to Singapore. I vibe with her free spiritedness and I thought it would be a good idea to feature her on one of my singles. Afterall, the pandemic gave us unsolicited permission to give ourselves that extra push. It is really great to be able to work with her on this, during a lull time for most creatives, and after all these years.”

Released under Where Are the Fruits, ‘Melancholic Weekends’ is the third single taken off DEON’s upcoming EP, ‘Melancholic Pop’. “The EP is based around sorrow, death, and regrets – thoughts that have constantly haunted me since the advent of COVID’19. It’s like a soft pop earworm, melancholy hangs around a little more than desired,” DEON explains.

Working with local crafter, Aidaville, DEON will be launching pre-orders for his exclusive t-shirt merchandise inspired by this latest single on 4 February 2022, Friday on his website. Designs are based on tattoo designs that DEON has on his own arm, and in relation the animal and flower motifs for ‘Melancholic Pop’. These motifs link back to the values, lessons, and memories committed to skin.

DEON is a singer-songwriter who blends earnest melodies and evocative lyrics, building an enduring collection of heartfelt songs over the years. Nuances of indie-pop provide the compass that guides the songsmith, as he pursues new found wisdom to pen pages for his story. With music as a vessel to carry the chapters and themes documenting life, its essence is fluid and flowing with inspiration. Inspired by artists such as Ásgeir, Rachael Yamagata, Tom Hardy and Chris Martin; DEON transited from a drummer to a singer-songwriter in late 2011. He has since released 3 full-length albums, Antiphobic (2014), Oceans (2015), eulogia; eulogy (2019), as well as a heart-felt collaborative refreshed take on ‘Fix’ with Japan’s soul-pop artist Shohey Uemura (THREE1989),

He has also released a 9-track EP, Oceans Remix (2016), based on remixes of his tracks by 9 different producers; and a 6-track acoustic/live EP prologue; eulogia (2020).

Professing over 2 decades of stage performing experiences, NyaLi is known among peers for her versatility and creative value as a voice artist. In addition to having opened for and being featured in prominent music lifestyle festivals, her appearances have garnered critical praise across continents including the North Americas, UK, Europe, South and Southeast Asia. Career highlights include supporting household names in the music industry including Andrea Bocelli, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jacob Collier — on world-renowned stages including Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Berkeley Performance Centre and Boston Symphony Hall.