Born & raised in New Jersey, Dorian has deemed himself a dreamer and believer in the impossible. Dorian boldly, authentically, and passionately pours himself into his songwriting, believing that sharing his story can help those who can resonate with his music and life journey. “Proud” by “Dorian “ is one of the amazing tracks to all the audience out there and it is awesome.
There’s a lot of space on this record, the vibe is light and atmospheric – laying bare certain ideas and really keeping your focus on the thoughts within, as well as allowing you that room and that time to consider and understand it all. The songwriting deals with a young person conflicted with pending decisions – this is done with a few simple details and an easy going verse leading softly and smoothly up towards a distinctly melodic hook. The hook is really uplifting sounding, contrasting greatly with the central difficulties of the song, and this makes it a lot more accessible and inviting in more ways than perhaps a standard musical approach to struggle in might. The track brings the classic good vibes and impressive writing that audiences will have come to expect from “Dorian”, and all the while it offers something completely unexpected and deep.
“Dorian” as a songwriter takes on the essence of both poetry and musical creativity to paint these thoughtful soundscapes that surround you with a fairly dreamlike, hypnotic aura. At close to three minutes long, the song takes its time to leave its mark, but towards the end of the experience the artist has made certain you know the concept, and that this key idea, the hook, is familiar and recognisable. And it is, there’s a distinct contrast between the subtlety of the verses and the changing pace, passion and melody of the chorus section. It’s effective songwriting but it’s presented in an uncommon, refreshingly creative style.
Musically, “Proud” sets up a fairly dreamlike, pop-inspired sound-track. The delicacy and this trip-hop sort of energy work well, and then with the addition of the R&B verse – the detail, the story telling, the diary-like expression of thoughts – the balance between everything works brilliantly. The verses actually bring more of a spoken word style of performance than you might usually come across – this helps further bring out the honesty and realness of the writing. The beat also kicks in appropriately, adding to the rising passion and subtle intensity. You get a sense that it means something very real to the artist behind it, and that makes it connect all the more strongly.
