Sometimes you need to lose yourself in order to truly start listening to your heart. This is exactly how one can describe the journey of Darling I Dreamt – a British musician who previously performed under the name Jonah Michael. In his teenage years, he became passionate about dance and electronic music, and both of these passions now influence his style – energetic, rhythmic, with elements of cyberpunk. Having undergone inner rethinking and chosen a new name, he reveals an honest and mature version of himself. This marked the beginning of a new chapter – one where darkness and vulnerability become a source of light, and music becomes a way to dream out loud. The music of Darling I Dreamt is emotional pop, rich with the influence of hyperpop, glitchcore, and hardcore. He is inspired by Cody Frost, Bring Me the Horizon, 100 Gecs, and even heavy bands like Boundaries and Knocked Loose. This mixture creates a unique blend of vulnerability and power, sadness and danceable release.
The name Darling I Dreamt is a play of contrasts. It refers to sleepless nights and sleep paralysis, but sounds like a tender address to a loved one. This vulnerability is the essence of the project: darkness through which light breaks. The project has already attracted attention: the lead single “Severed Ties” under the new name was added to the BBC Introducing rotation, while previous works were included in Spotify playlists – Misfits 2.0 and We Are Nottingham.
On June 20, the artist will present his debut EP “Wake Up”, four tracks he began writing a couple of years ago, during nights when he could barely sleep. Recovering from an illness that left him constantly exhausted and struggling to breathe, he moved back in with his parents. At the time, he felt like he was losing control of his life. The songs on the EP explore various anxieties he faced during that period. And all these emotions can be heard not only in the lyrics, but also in the voice, rhythm, and tone. It became his way of coping and speaking about what’s inside. I had the chance to listen to the EP ahead of its release, and I want to share what moved me while I was listening to it.
The EP opens with the track “I’m So Sick and Tired (of the Same Town)” feat. CMTEN – it’s like waking up in a city where everything has long been frozen. In the air – dust from forgotten dreams, familiar streets where almost no one walks anymore. Emo guitars collide with glitch-pop hysteria, and the voice trembles on the edge between longing and anger. The track sounds tense: heavy beats, sharp vocal shifts, and “broken” production.
Perhaps the most important point on the album is “I’m in a Bad Place Lately Feat. funeral” A song about separation, about breaking up with a former version of oneself. Here, Darling I Dreamt seems to perform open-heart surgery without anesthesia: dissecting who he is and what he no longer wants to carry with him. Musically, it’s an explosive mix of hyperpop, hip-hop, and glitchcore. The sound constantly transforms: it breaks down, cracks. The artist raises important themes: ADHD, anxiety, self-identity, and the guilt of being “different.” There’s a lot of pain in it, but also hope. The line “It’s never too late” sounds like a reminder: it’s never too late to start over. Because sometimes, to become yourself, you first have to destroy everything that stood in the way.
That exact internal, difficult state, when it feels like everything is slipping out of control, is what the song “I’m In a Bad Place Lately” is about. A song about a condition that’s hard to explain but all too familiar to many. When you want to disappear, turn off your phone, and hide under the blanket, because you have no energy left. Darling I Dreamt sings about inner burnout, anxiety, and apathy, and honestly admits: “I’m struggling right now, and I’m not coping.” The chaotic drum-and-bass rhythm reflects the feeling when thoughts are racing so fast you can’t keep up with them, and the voice balances between restraint and panic. It captures moments when even simple things – like replying to a message or getting out of bed – feel like a feat. A kind of fragile attempt to say: “I’m here, I’m trying, but I need a bit more time.”
The most foggy and figurative song on the album, where a dream is a symbol of the past – hard to let go of, yet impossible to forget – is the final “Darling, I’ve Just Had the Worst Dream.” It’s a big exhale after a long sleep. This powerful track, which even gave the artist his name, is a swirling vortex of fears, memories, and hopes. It paints a picture of a dream-like apocalypse, where the feeling of sleep paralysis turns into a strong inner fire. The music itself wraps around you in a thick shoegaze fog, occasionally interrupted by powerful bursts of alt-metal.
On his debut EP “Wake Up”, Darling I Dreamt explores a chronicle of dreams in which real suffering is reflected. His music is like shards of a mirror: sharp, sincere, sparkling. The EP is both a self-portrait and an invitation – to look inside yourself, into the darkness, and find there even a flickering, but still present, light. For those who love to cry to synthesizers, dance alone, and feel too much – this music is for you. The EP “Wake Up” will be available on all streaming platforms on June 20, 2025.
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