City Pop Singer CECILIA Sings About a One-sided Crush in “Don’t Go Dancing”
City pop, as a music genre, is rich with themes of longing, nostalgia, joy, and happiness. Yet, the genre in itself is quite bittersweet. Rooted in the sounds of 1980s and 1990s Asian music, particularly from Japan and Korea, it blends elements of jazz, touches of disco, and a whole lot of dance.
Those who have been waiting for a groovy city pop number, your wait has just ended! Canadian musician CECILIA is back with her second single of 2024, titled “Don’t Go Dancing.” Inspired by CECILIA’s personal experience as a jazz club singer, “Don’t Go Dancing” captures the perspective of the performer and her feelings for a regular club attendee whom she secretly admires. The song is a mix of bittersweet emotions as the singer expresses a tinge of jealousy, heartbreak and fear of missing out. The song, along with its music video, is slated to release on December 18, 2024.
Matt Reyes, aka seyertam, worked with CECILIA in producing the song. CECILIA and Minh Hoang, her bandmate from Next Perfect Day created the music while CECILIA wrote the song herself. Staying true to the song’s genre, CECILIA shot the pictures for this track in Tokyo.
Photo Courtesy of Deniz Demir
Prior to this single, CECILIA also released the song “Merry-Go-Round.” This track is also about a woman wondering if her love will come true, and if the ‘merry go round’ of emotions will ever halt. It’s a mid-tempo track with a more somber tone compared to “Don’t Go Dancing.”
Before venturing on a solo path, CECILIA was a part of Fettish, an all-Asian punk rock girl band. She was the band’s bassist, songwriter, and second vocalist until its disbandment in 2020 due to COVID-19. Now, in addition to being a soloist, she is also a part of Next Perfect Day, a city pop band based in Toronto. The band croons to Korean and Japanese city pop numbers from the 80s.
“Don’t Go Dancing” is the second single from CECILIA’s upcoming city-pop EP. The EP’s name is under wraps, and these two songs have only increased our curiosity to find out! In the coming days, CECILIA will also go on a tour, promoting her latest singles and performing other songs in collaboration with other artists.