the dream

MUANH is a US-based German/Vietnamese artist who is not foreign to the feeling of constant move and the in-between. I wasn't sure if that's the opener I should go for, but I feel this is quite important context before diving into her art. She had sent me a few tracks before, but I'll be honest - it took me a little while for everything to click. Once it did, though, I fell into a full-on obsession spiral with her music, and I'm getting goosebumps while writing this and listening to her new single "the dream".

The song will be included in her upcoming EP, HUSH, and it is a haunting blend of dream pop with a splash of R&B, indie rock, and late 80s/90s ballad nostalgia. If you dig layered guitars, spacious reverb, and intimate vocals, then this will feel like a deeply emotional experience. I'm even getting some shoegaze influences on here.

She elaborates, "Most of my songs start with a sound before they start with words. The Dream was different. After a long week of teaching, I came home feeling completely drained. I sat down in my home studio, which is still where I write most of my songs, and instead of trying to build a world first, I just started writing. I had this thought I couldn’t let go of: what if I’d gone all in on music years ago? Not because I regret where I am now, but because I wondered what that version of my life might have looked like."

I appreciate how honest she is about the song. At the end, the track doesn’t really feel like a song about choosing music over another career, in her case. It's more about remembering that the life you’re imagining doesn’t have to stay imaginary forever. I think the healthy thing is to be happy where you are now, while always striving for your dreams and that next thing. A balance between routine and chaos.