CONNOR DESAI - Forever

When observing musical trends in popular music over the past 10-15 years, one of the most contentious innovations is the usage of electronic drums in predominantly acoustic music. Detractors say that the usage of such techniques takes away from the heart and soul of tender ballads and places more emphasis on the movement of the song rather than the singer themselves. But never have these two elements combined more gracefully and impactfully than on the latest single from Connor Desai, “Forever”. A seasoned veteran in music with releases dating back 16 years, Desai’s latest single is a soft folk ballad supplemented with surprisingly warm trap beats to create a stunningly unique sound. At face value, the song appears simple: a ballad that appears to be about a bitter breakup that lingers in Desai’s mind long after it happened.

But listen a little closer, and you’ll hear the “Forever” sits at the crossroads of a whole menagerie of genres. The breakdown during its second chorus is surprisingly jazz-influenced, and it provides listeners with a bit of a calming relief, an island between the series of trap drums before and after. Combine these two elements with folk and country influences and you get a very rare kind of song that actually succeeds in combining genres to satisfy listeners of multiple tastes. With recent success in the sync world following a placement of her cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” in Netflix’s The One, Desai’s brand of folk-meets-trap-meets-jazz should absolutely thrive in a music world still enamored and influenced by things like lo-fi hip hop beats. A must listen if you’re a fan of artists like Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile.

On Rotation: 'Forever'

'Forever' on Spotify: