“Knife” by Dana Williams is an alt indie RnB song akin to hits by H.E.R. It is an anthem for anyone surviving their struggles, and it shows that breaking ties with abusive people can be so liberating.
Synths create an intriguing introduction right off the bat. Dana Williams’ melodic voice is so unique that I can’t stop listening to it. Her vibrata is captivating as she showcases impressive range throughout the song. From low notes to her heavenly head voice, her vocals are stunning. The upbeat rhythm is comprised of synths and piano that add to the feeling of liberation and joy. The artist weaves in a little comedy into such a serious topic by saying “Change can be scary, so much to repair...I’ll just change my hair.” But, at its heart she is writing about the happiest day of her life - the day she broke free.
Dana explained, “I wrote this song about breaking free from a toxic situation. I was experiencing such joy and creativity with this feeling of newly found freedom. The satisfaction of cutting ties can be like using a perfectly sharpened knife to a cook.”
Dana Williams is an indie, RnB singer-songwriter who grew up in L.A. and New York. She began writing songs in middle school, often in collaboration with her father: the late David Williams, a rhythm guitarist who performed on such iconic songs as Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” Stevie Nicks’s “Stand Back,” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”
Williams says, “A lot of times he’d bring home a track and tell me, ‘Write a verse here, a chorus here, another verse here. It was just a fun thing we did together, but it taught me how to write.” Her 2013 debut EP, The Lonely One, was the only original vocal composition featured in Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning film Whiplash.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAmDanaWilliams
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iAmDanaWilliams/
Written by Annika Johnson, edited by Hannah Schneider