SONG REVIEW: Naja - "Closer"
By Jessica Klausing
As featured on the On The Marq Radio Show with DJ Marq - Episode: Soul glo
Heartfelt confessions and sonic backdrops take center stage on Minneapolis based artist Naja’s latest song, “Closer.” Jump starting into the song, Naja pours his heart out to the listener about not “needing no fancy things,” which builds the emotion with a concise drum beat before cresting into a layered echo of background vocals.
According to Naja, “this song is inspired from trying to reject materialism and ego, and trying to pursue spirituality. I’m a recovering drug addict, and although I have been sober for over a decade, I find that drugs are a just symptom of my soul sickness. I’ve always tried to use external things to fix the way I feel internally.”
The profound highlight of the song comes with the piano melody cascading down like gentle raindrops to cleanse and purify the soul. As Naja coos his soulful harmonies delicately, a warm saxophone injects a funky jazz element into this already rich musical soundscape. As the song winds down, Naja leaves us with the overall message that real happiness doesn’t come from outside things, and yes, life is not always great, sometimes it’s full of fear, and we have to walk through it, but we don’t have to do it alone.