Debrah Scarlett introduces herself on debut EP Dysutopia
Debrah Scarlett has come a long way since her participation in The Voice of Norway a few years back. She represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 together with Mørland, reaching the top 10 with their duet ‘A Monster Like Me’. She dropped a first solo track in 2016, but is now back for the real deal. She launched the outstanding debut single ‘Cynical Youth’ last month and now we get the rest of the Dys(u)topia EP!

‘Cynical Youth’ was the perfect way for Debrah to introduce herself. It showcases the power of her vocals with a big and bombastic chorus and tells the story of her growing up in different places. The build up is flawless and although it is not necessarily radiofriendly, it does sound like a hit. Although it is the best track on the EP, the other songs have enough to offer as well!

On the second track ‘Blurry’ she dives deeper into the world of electronic sounds, moving closer to the sonic world of artists like BANKS and Tove Lo. Scarlett’s emotive vocal style fits this genre perfectly and it would be interesting to hear what happens when she experiments with this even more. ‘Neon Eyes’ is a midtempo track that starts out with an intro based on piano and then builds up to a vivacious chorus where Debrah shows off the higher register of her vocals. ‘Sweetest Pain’ is an eclectic track with some influences from jazz and blues as well as soul and pop. It more than anything shows off her stunning and completely unique voice that goes from warm, to mysterioius and distant and cold to sensual. “She whispers my name like nobody else and it drives me insane”, she sings. That is how I would feel when Debrah would sing my name probably. Dys(u)topia is an impressive debut that shows off her talents both as a vocalist and songwriter. Her sound is eclectic, but has enough focus to prove Scarlett has found a sound that suits her!