Album Review: ‘Teary-Eyed’ by DANA

There are songs about DANA’s literal home and childhood, as well as songs about learning how to be at home in your body, feeling at home with your sexuality and offering a metaphorical home to friends in need. 

Starting off with ‘Mama Aren’t You Angry’, DANA delivers a cathartic power ballad about single motherhood. In every note and every word, her pent-up anger on behalf of her mother is audible. Amplified by beat drops and chilling high notes, it’s a deeply moving, stirring song. 

While the title suggests a break-up anthem, the second track ‘Forever Heartbreaker’ is likely about a family member too. Although the lyrics could just as well be about an ex-partner or a former friend, the line ‘You taught me how to speak but you never seem to listen’ does suggest a family relationship. In comparison to the first track, it’s more fast-paced, but don’t be fooled by its catchy tune – the lyrics make it one of the most heartbreaking songs on the album. 

‘Best I Can Do’ was the last single DANA released before the album came out. Just like ‘Forever Heartbreaker’, it could be interpreted as a break-up song, however, it seems to make more sense in the context of family issues again. More specifically, it seems to be about breaking the generational curse; the poignant line ‘The best I can do is not to be like you’ sums up this message perfectly.

With ‘Kale Juice’ comes a change of theme. The track, which could easily be on the soundtrack of a coming-of-age film, captures both the joy of youth and the hard reality of growing up. It’s a message to a childhood friend who is now an adult and has lost their juvenile lightness and ease. The chorus is a beautiful mixture of euphoria and melancholy and includes a name drop of the album as DANA declares that she and her friend were ‘born to be teary-eyed’. ‘Kale Juice’ marks the first part of a trilogy of songs about friendship. 

The second part of that is ‘That’s What Girls Do’, although it would be inaccurate to simply place it in the friendship category. In fact, it’s about the very realisation that a close friend was, in hindsight, much more than just that. ‘That’s What Girls Do’ is a beautiful song about coming to terms with your sexuality, told through flashbacks to moments of intimacy with a friend. ‘We don‘t need to name it if we mean it; One day I hope I won‘t need to hide it‘ is just one example of the many lyrical gems hidden in this song. The bridge especially contains some of the most heartfelt moments as it explores the innocence of youth with the perspective of an adult in an intense stream of consciousness. 

While most of the other tracks showcase DANA’s strong vocal power, ‘Alright’ highlights the fragile side of her voice. The third song of the friendship trilogy radiates pain and comfort at the same time as DANA promises her support to a friend who is going through a hard time. On the one hand, it’s those tender high notes that make the song so emotional, on the other hand, it’s the touching lyrics that consist of the kind of love and support we would all like to receive.   

For the next track, titled ‘Delusional’, DANA’s voice remains fragile and tender, almost tentative even, which enhances the mood of the song. Almost a love song, ‘Delusional’ deals with the debilitating fear of losing someone. The stripped-back instrumentals match the gentle hesitancy in DANA’s voice.  

Everyone who’s ever been told they’re too loud, too talkative, just too much, will relate to the song ‘Ex-Extrovert’ on a deeper level. It’s for the people pleasers who make themselves small out of fear of upsetting others – and it’s yet another proof of how expressive DANA‘s voice truly is as she manages to portray the five stages of grief in one song, a song in which she grieves the extroverted person she used to be. Containing lyrics such as ‘Working for everybody’s love’, it’s without a doubt one of the most gut-wrenching songs on the album. 

‘Hype’ is another track that covers a topic which isn’t talked about, let alone sung about enough. Watching your friends stay in unhappy relationships out of fear of being alone is a universal experience – unless, of course, you are the friend who stays in unhappy relationships – but somehow, DANA is one of the very first artists to put this experience in a song. 

Dealing with yet another very difficult subject, ‘Hungry’ is a song about the relationship with one’s body. Dark and sombre with cryptic lyrics, it’s never quite clear whom or what the song is aimed at. ‘Hungry’ is not the kind of ballad that immediately grabs your attention with epic instrumentals and high notes, but it’ll stay in the back of your mind for a very long time.

‘As We Grow Older’ is as perfect as a closing song can get. The toned-down production and the quiet tune convey a sense of peace. Even though the song is steeped with nostalgia, there is a lot of joy and hope in it too. Once again, it’s not entirely clear whom the song is about – it might be about a friend or maybe a sibling. The last word of the song and therefore the whole album is ‘family’, rounding it off perfectly as the first word of the album is ‘Mama’. Since the overall theme of the album is self-exploration and introspection, which usually starts with understanding where you came from, it only makes sense to include so many songs about family matters.

It’s clear that DANA gave the entire project a tremendous amount of thought – not just to the songs but also to the tracklist. Additionally, the timing of the release could not have been better, as a lot of tracks have an autumnal feeling to them. To sum it up, Teary-Eyed is a beautiful album about the ups and downs of life, capturing the pain and joy, the fears and hopes that come with it. DANA deserves nothing but praise for this stunning project, the candour she shows throughout the album and the bravery this kind of genuine authenticity requires.