From Baltimore comes Dorian. A not-so-fresh face that’s been garnering a steadily growing spot of attention over his past releases, reaching a respectable listenership on streaming services, and listening to this release, you can easily see why that is.
An arena-sized banger, full to the brim with personality and oozing with energy, ‘Proud’ is a relatively short runtime pop gem, that’s equally suited to the workout and the night drive playlists. A fast-paced song that doesn’t relent or slow down. With a throbbing synth bass, metallic-sounding drums, and a manic arpeggiator part as a backing to Dorian’s beautiful singing.
While not necessarily impressive in the range aspect, it is ear-grabbing and impressive in the timbre and control aspects. With a chest voice that goes to crazy lengths without breaking the register and phrasing that’s delicious with trails that sound distinctively oriental, matching the emotive chord progression beautifully.
This might be my introduction to Dorian’s music, but it definitely won’t be the last time I check his music out. I’ll be on the lookout for where his talents take him next.