Throughout my years writing for Weekly Music Commentary, I have had the opportunity to feature several musical duos. It’s an interesting subject to me because I realize that there are different types of duos. Historically there have been some exceptional songwriting duos. There still are some great production duos. Then, you still see some duos featuring two artists. Also, there are duos with a featured lead vocalist with an accompanying instrumentalist such as Captain and Tenielle. I was part of a duo that was a combination of all of the afore-mentioned examples. We were songwriting and production partners, with me always way in the background when it came to on stage performances.
Our featured artists this week are another musical duo that now has started to make real inroads into the musical industry. Singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 are from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and deliver their own brand of alternative R&B. The duo is signed to rapper/singer Drake’s OVO Sound. What makes DVSN special? Allow me to start the discussion.
On September 5, 2015, DVSN released two songs titled “The Line” and “With Me”. They initially started gaining recognition when “With Me” was played on Apple’s Beats 1 radio during the seventh OVO Sound radio show. On February 29, 2016, it was announced that DVSN had signed to Drake’s OVO Sound record label.
DVSN released their debut studio album, titled Sept. 5th, exclusively on the iTunes Store and Apple Music on March 27, 2016, with the album releasing elsewhere on April 1, 2016.
On May 5, 2017, DVSN released “Think About Me” as the lead single from their second album. A new single, titled “Mood” was released on September 4, 2017. The next day, DVSN revealed that the album will be released October 13, 2017. Morning After was made available for preorder on September 22, 2017. Two years later, “Mood” is still playing regularly on radio stations around the world.
This discussion about DVSN reminded me of an article in Rolling Stone featuring the 20 Greatest Duos of All-Time. When you sit down and give it some thought, there have been some phenomenal duos producing great music through the years. Sitting at number three was the fantastic duo of Simon and Garfunkel. Younger readers may not be familiar with the duo, but their music has stood the test of time. The music from the 1968 film “The Graduate” gave us the major hit song “Mrs. Robinson”. It still plays on radio stations worldwide today after more than fifty years. Years later the duo struck again with “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. This is a song that has been recorded and performed by many artists. Of course the duo received a 2003 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, and many of their major hits are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Although much has been written about Simon and Garfunkel’s music, much more has been discussed about their volatile relationship and eventual split. In describing their relationship Art Garfunkel said the following, “We are indescribable. You’ll never capture it. It’s an ingrown, deep friendship. Yes, there is deep love in there. But there’s also shit.” The duo reunited several times but were never able to sustain or work together well.
Where does DVSN fit in that list of great duos? Well, remember the two are really just starting out. However, there are some good signs that DVSN’s best hits have yet to be recorded. The landscape of the music industry is different today. Musical hits are produced by some very good artists, but how songs become hits is very different than fifty years ago. Nevertheless, if artists keep working, good music and possibly hits will come.
DVSN is making the most of opportunities to connect with a waiting audience. On April 12, 2019 (Weekend 1) DVSN made their first appearance at Coachella. The set list was as follows: 1) “Too Deep” 2) “With Me” 3) “Think About Me” 4) Usher Cover “You Got It Bad” 5) Kings of Leon Cover “Use Somebody”/”Sex on Fire” 6) “In Between Us” 7) “Hallucinations” 8) “The Line”. The duo performed again on April 19, 2019 for Weekend 2 of Coachella). The duo has created enough music to be recognized for some good songs. We’ll see what comes next.
Now the music world is poised and waiting for DVSN’s third studio album scheduled to drop next month. I have heard the comparisons to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis but regular readers know I don’t like comparisons. Besides, DVSN is much more than a production team. I think this next album will help us define DVSN much clearer.