The pop and R&B infused track has dark urban undertones, accompanied by a synth and heavy bass production that will draw the listener in from the very beginning.
The thought-provoking tune is self-produced and written by the South African born, New Zealand bred artist showcases his talents through beat-making and lyrical prowess to tell a story of unification and the need for one’s own validation.
Denel started messing around with bassline ideas to begin with. Progressively, the melody for the verse came to mind almost instantly. Gradually worked towards building the track up rhythmically with the kick, clap and hi hats. The hi hats specifically are double timed triplets which he felt are a real highlight for this track. The aim was to create something that hits hard yet still maintains depth and meaning in the lyrical content.
Denel comments on ‘Crossroads’, “We’re constantly in a state of chasing the next big thing, staying validated and sometimes all of this comes at the detriment of our own selves. I think it’s so important to know your identity and be comfortable with who you are. That’s really what this song is all about.”
His previous track ‘Make It Right’ enjoyed a number eight spot on the NZ Hot 20 in its first week and has attained over 177,000 streams on Spotify alone. Its music video was nominated for ‘Best Music Video’ at Sony’s Catch Light Film festival held in Sydney this year. With 2022 on the close, Denel has set his sights on diversifying his audience, making music that appeals to people of all ages. 2023 has its own set of goals in mind for the singer-songwriter and producer and we look forward to finding out.
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