Dani Offline is completing a PhD in Comparative Literature, writes essays on culture and art that go viral on Substack, and makes some of the warmest, most carefully constructed soul music youâll hear right now.
These things are all connected. She grew up between Alabama and Italy, writes by hand, records to tape, and releases music that sounds like it was made slowly and on purpose, because it was.
New single âweary soulâ started as an essay on weariness in black music, and you can feel that thinking in the track: live drums, vintage guitars, Rhodes arpeggios and Juno-106 synths building into something warm and retrofuturist, while Dani sings about longing for someone to really know her.
It ends on lush, tape-recorded harmonies drifting into a question: âDid you ever know me?â The beautiful cinematographic video puts her in scenarios that usually need two people - pool, cards, chess - playing alone.
SZA, Questlove and Jill Scott have all shouted her out, which tells you the right people are paying attention. Get ahead of her now.
đ§ Watch the video for âweary soulâ below