Nataly Dawn Remembers to Bask in ‘Joy’ in Her Latest Gardenview Music Video
Today, June 3, marks the momentous release of Nataly Dawn's latest solo album, Gardenview, featuring 13 stunning tracks infused with her folksy, dreamy sound.
Best known as one half of the indie-pop duo Pomplamoose, Nataly isn't just revered for her velvety voice, but also her songwriting prowess, and it's on full show in this new collection of songs about self-reflection, as well as self-acceptance. The new song "Joy," in particular, emphasizes the importance of allowing yourself to be happy. For us, it was love at first listen, and we got the chance to ask Nataly all about the track, its lyrics and its clever new music video. Keep reading to find out what she shared with us.
The Story Behind 'Joy'
Nataly Dawn: I'm really bad at letting myself experience happiness. Whenever a moment of joy occurs, there's this little voice that chimes in with, "this won't last," or "you don't deserve this." It's honestly ridiculous how much our brains are wired to block our own happiness. So I wrote this song as a reminder to let myself experience moments of joy to really bask in them and let them in.
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What 'Joy' Means
ND: There's this Richard Bach quote: "We teach best what we most need to learn." That's how I feel about this song. It's me saying "Hey! Moments of true joy are precious! Let yourself feel as much joy as life gives you!" But I was writing it at the beginning of the pandemic when my anxiety was at its worst. I desperately wanted to feel joy and peace. So this song feels like a "happy song" written by someone who wants to feel joy but is actually still very afraid of loss.
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Nataly's Favorite Lyric
ND: "Joy" is personified in both the song and the video, but in different ways. The idea is that she shows up at your door quite suddenly, and you're supposed to ask her if she wants to come in. But as the song goes on, you become less sure of who this stranger is. In the music video, I play "Joy," a traveling salesperson who sells toasters door-to-door. But the song's lyric states quite clearly that Joy won't "sell you a toaster. She won't tell you how much better your… toast… could be." I love the way Sammy Paul directed the music video and used that lyric as a way to clue the viewer in to the fact that Joy (the character) was more of an imposter than an actual messenger of true happiness.
Love discovering great new tunes? Click HERE to read our interview with Jazmine Lucero on her new single, "Wish They Could."