Review by Vince Leigh
Now and then, a new artist appears that surprises with an excellent track. Emerging Perth based singer-songwriter Mona Patel is one such artist.
This independent singer-songwriter, who has lived in Mumbai and Perth, has drawn on her transglobal experience and background, and training in contemporary jazz vocals to create a sensational blend of EDM, pop and contemporary R&B.
Dream Guy features a bold, assertive lyric, a hypnotic vocal performance and combines it with a strident state of the art production. The new track follows the exceptional response to Mona’s debut track, Hold Me Like You Mean It, which attracted a tonne of hits on YouTube and received substantial online support.
Dream Guy not only engages the heart and head—with a no-nonsense lyric—but also aims straight for the dancefloor.
As Mona has said about her inspiration: “This song was written during a low point in my life. I had just gotten out of a serious long-term relationship and was feeling pretty heartbroken, as I had felt that this person was the love of my life, and I was wallowing in self-pity about it.
“But I decided to create a song with what I was feeling. I wanted to describe the exact kind of guy I would like to be with or my dream guy. The song gave me hope, closure and reminded me to always focus on what’s ahead and that maybe he was out there for me after all. It also helped me realise that being single wasn’t so bad after all and helped me get into a much better mindset post-breakup.”
Dream Guy takes its cues from several contemporary pop sources; there’s a little bit of Halsey and a little Selena, but it retains a consistent mode of originality, one that will surely propel Mona Patel into the pop spotlight.
Dream Guy is catchy and mesmerising while maintaining a relatable and raw emotional edge.
