A singer, rapper, poet, author, speaker and all-around mogul, Dessa can be forgiven for waiting three-plus years (and counting) to follow 2014’s excellent Parts of Speech. After all, she’s hardly receded from the spotlight: Her group Doomtree released an album in 2015, she pops up on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new benefit single for Puerto Rico and — speaking of Miranda — she stole his 2016 Hamilton Mixtape right out from under an assortment of huge stars. (Side note: How did “Congratulations” get left out of Hamilton’s final cut, anyway?)
Now, Dessa returns with “Good Grief,” a song that portends more new music in 2018. It’s built around a bit of wordplay, as well as a decidedly Dessa-esque concept: the idea that there’s much to gain from the losses and pain we mourn — but only once we’ve gained the perspective necessary to put them behind us. “I want that good grief / The one that heals me / That leaves me clarified by fire when I’m burned clean,” she sings, later adding, “Good grief’s the one that’s in the past.”
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Writing via email, Dessa expounds on the notion of, well, good grief: “One day, flipping through assorted feeds on my phone, I ran across the phrase ‘good grief’ and wondered, ‘What’s the difference between the good kind and the garden variety that just, you know, hurts?’ We have a tendency, I think, to sanctify old pain. When discussing past failures and injuries, we say things like, ‘I wouldn’t change it if I could — it made me who I am.’ Which is pretty nuts, because we expend a lot of effort every day trying our damnedest to change our current circumstances. Considered in the present tense, we don’t perceive a spinal fracture or a messy divorce as an opportunity for personal growth. We brake, we veer, we avoid those things if at all possible. Grief’s only good when it’s over.”
Listen Now:
Dessa – “Good Grief”
Impacting Radio: NOW
Formats: AAA, College, Hip Hop
For Fans Of Lizzo, Lauryn Hill, Princess Nokia, Doomtree, SZA
Focus Tracks: Good Grief
Quick Info: A singer, rapper, poet, author, speaker and all-around mogul, Dessa has a new song, “Good Grief,” out NOW!
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