Dean Lewis set such a high bar with his debut album a Place We Knew. It attracted attention all over the world. Suddenly he was hitting stages like Lollapalooza, Isle of Wight, and Splendour in the Grass. Household names like Ellen Degeneres and Jimmy Kimmel were clamouring to get him on their shows. After enjoying such a meteoric rise, everyone wondered what he’d do next. We finally have our answer with the release of “Falling Up,” the first single lifted from Dean’s sophomore album.
Dean doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, and nor should he. This track is emotive and relatable. We might never have experienced Dean’s particular struggles, but we certainly know the feelings of anxiety and isolation he sings about. This song feels accessible from the get-go because it’s a catchy pop song with real heart.
“I always thought I would be happy when I finished school or when I passed an exam, or I got a job or a promotion or if I went travelling and then I was like – ‘ooh, now I have a record deal, what if I have a big song? Then, I had a big song, and I was on the road for three years and when I stopped, I realised it had all passed me by and I was actually less present and more anxious and stressed than ever,” he admitted. “I looked back on my life and at all of these points along the way and I realised that I’ve never felt any better, it’s always been onto the next thing, always moving.”
Dean hasn’t announced when that new album will drop, but this single is sure to get people excited about its imminent release.
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Darren Craig