Teenage emo-pop staple Daine works with Melbourne producer and vocalist Lonelyspeck to release new single ‘Ascension’ – a taste of the double a-side release, ‘Ascension/Angel Numbers’ that has been newly announced. With the eccentric style similar to Grimes and sounds that are reminiscent of Juice WRLD with an added rock backing, the angst and passion Daine has encapsulated follows the energy of her singles ‘Picking Flowers’ and ‘My Way Out’.
The double tracks ‘Ascension’ and ‘Angel Numbers’ have been titled by Daine as a chapter of her story. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, Daine’s emotions are raw and honest in a time where our connection to others is severely lacking. This modern diary is a disillusioned embodiment of her anxieties of a generation who are becoming lost in a chaotic world.
The rawness of the music video comes hand in hand with the lyrical content, ‘its like an ascension is ripping out my bones/demons coming forward to hollow out my heart/ its making room for light/ but i feel like imma die’ – being unable to accept the positives that come with light. It is ultimately the sign of detachment from one’s self. Destructive yet meditative, the emotional effect of the song allows listeners to fall into Daine’s psyche. There are unexpected twists and turns of an uncommon power balance in the track that pull and push until finding the end.
We are in a time of unpredictability, and Daine has expressed this anxiety in an emo ballad for everyone else who feels just as lost. Bittersweet, dark and powerful, ‘Ascension’ creates the perfect runway for ‘Angel Numbers’ to take flight.