Daria Mirea is a 21-year-old pop/soul singer based in London who has a history of accolades such as being acclaimed by the song contest “The Voice of Romania” in 2018. With “Don’t Know Love Yet,” she captures the feeling of a calm, warm late-night walk by a canal somewhere in Northern England, while meditating on a past relationship. The final product is a romantically vulnerable record that is both tender and powerful.
The tune begins with a warm, stereo acoustic guitar riff that is clean and gently played. Daria’s voice then enters center stage of the mix as the singer-songwriter structure takes form, not relying on any drums or any percussion to fill in the sound spectrum. This choice, from a composition angle, serves the song really well in order to set the tone and create space for the vulnerability of Daria’s voice and lyrics.
A great songwriting choice is made with the second verse as the guitar performs rhythmically with a strumming technique as a four on the floor kick drum enters the mix. This new energy works alongside the context of the lyrics as we arrive at a more passionate stage of the song, touching on misery and disappointment. This build-up inevitably arrives at the premise of the song that is expressed in its hook. “You’ve lost a good girl and I lost my mind.” It’s a strong lyric that captures the psychology of the record. Another neat element, musically, is the sprinkle of vocal ad-libs lightly tucked back in the mix that add a lot of texture to its timbre.
There are countless love songs that have been written since the inception of music by our species, but it’s nice when there are still fresh and unique ways to approach the subject. To confess a love, but then put the spin that you don’t know what love is makes that lyric much more interesting because the latter renders how we understand the former. Even though it’s a small subtle choice, it has a big impact.
The ending is also beautifully constructed with the rhythm section ending, but then a new guitar riff finishes the last 8 bars with an angelic last delivery by Daria. This presents a lasting impression that matches the main theme of the song. Her music sensibilities as both a performer and writer are very polished and mature for her age.
Daria Mirea is certainly an artist to look out for and we can’t wait to hear what’s next from the young singer-songwriter. For fans of pop/soul, you’re definitely going to want to check out “Don’t Know Love Yet.”
Written by Jon Kagan
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