Cariss Auburn provides escapism on disco-pop cut ‘Daydream’

Wolverhampton-based songstress Cariss Auburn’s latest single ‘Daydream’ is infused with groovy, disco-pop influences with a slight hint of 90s city pop. In the track, the singer invites us on a rendezvous into her little world, summing up the track in her own words as “a 3-minute holiday”. 

‘Daydream’ quite literally makes the listener feel like they’ve entered a spellbinding daydream. Auburn pairs smooth, dream-like vocals with lyrics drenched in a burning desire for wanderlust and sweet escape, simultaneously conveying melancholy and eagerness. Accompanying trippy, hypnotic visuals perfectly capture the aesthetic of hallucinatory escapism Auburn has created with the track. 

“Living in such a connected world I feel that we absorb so much trauma and pain daily - especially as a black woman. It’s hard to take a break from that pain without feeling this immense guilt. But we deserve that break!” Auburn says, speaking about the meaning and influences of the track. "It’s no fix-all but I wanted to invite everyone into my personal escapist world - '80s music and reminiscing over my holiday to Japan,” she continues, also stating that the video contains clips from said trip to Japan. 

Auburn began her musical ventures as a young girl, forming a girl band at the early age of 8 with her schoolmates. Since then, she has drawn inspiration from the likes of alternative rock band Arcade Fire, particularly their live performances, as well as Y2K influences, commenting to Line of Best Fit, “I definitely rinsed my Billie Piper CD.” She also states that artists such as Luther Vandross and Destiny's Child, who her mother blasted around the house, were “behind my interest in playing around with harmonies and different layered vocal arrangements." 

Auburn released her debut single, the R&B-inspired ‘Float’, earlier this year. ‘Daydream’ is her second release of 2021. It comes just ahead of her forthcoming album ‘Refraction’, which is set for release in April.

Lian Lakhope 

(@li444n)

Image: Cariss Auburn – Daydream - Alfitude