Berklee College of Music, Boston alumnus and Mumbai-based musician Zachary Ray released his latest single ‘Cloud 9’ on 18th November 2022. The song has opened to a great response and rightly so. Zachary collaborated with two other gifted vocalists, Shreya Bhattacharya and Bernard Dafney to render this sunny track. Read more about Cloud 9 and its magic below.
Saakshi Priyadarshini | BeatCurry Team
Who doesn’t like gifts? Well, have you ever been gifted with hope? If not, you would love to listen to the independent artist Zachary Ray’s latest creation in the soundverse called ‘Cloud 9’. The name itself is enough to give a good idea of what the song is about. In case you couldn’t guess, the song simply asks everyone to embrace joy, no matter how testing the current time seems.
The song is inspired by Zachary’s own experience of the pandemic and the lows it brought. He got involved in music from early childhood, courtesy of his parent’s musical background. After class ninth, he picked up music more passionately and his love for the art took him to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Boston. After completing his education in music, making valuable connections as he started to create his music, he came back to India. For the past ten years, he has been helping foster more talent. He started teaching a music program in Mumbai after his return before moving to Kolkata to teach at the Calcutta School of Music. He even established his own company back in 2015 which goes by Chaitown Community in the present day.
Now, he’s back in Mumbai and is representing the Global Music Institute while creating his own music. He has presented 22 tracks till now including one of the recent releases titled ‘Danger’ featuring Siddharth Basrur, which became a hit. It was even followed by a remix version created in collaboration with Jeanne Merchant. He has been working with several talented musicians in Mumbai since his return.
Carrying it forward, he collaborated with ace vocalist Shreya Bhattacharya and Singer Bernard Dafney who’s also an acting coach and actor. As per Zachary, Shreya, who graduated from Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, is a close friend and he has worked with Bernard earlier. Shreya has proven her mettle as a Jazz, RnB, Western Classical, and Gospel vocalist. Thus Zachary had conceived from the beginning that he would love to work with such top talent to further accentuate his track.
Listen to ‘Cloud 9’ by Zachary Ray ft. Shreya Bhattacharya & Bernard Dafney on YouTube:
As listeners, we have all the reasons to affirm that he made the right choices. Shreya’s vocals and her stylized crooning add such a nice layer to the joyous track. For someone who loves to sing Jazz, her variations just dazzle throughout the song. She has a powerful voice that pumps up the mood well. Bernard Dafney’s voice feels like caramel, so rich, rightfully thick with a texture that makes his vocals stand out a notch above. He infused a vocal element that we didn’t know the track needed, until he worked his magic and we fell for it.
Coming to Zachary, well, his vocals speak for themselves. He picks up the song slowly, with a soft voice and then holds it throughout like a steady anchor. His voice is clean, clear and infused with emotions as he gradually croons through high and low notes with gliding efficiency. After listening to ‘Cloud 9’ it becomes clear what Brandon Bee and Nelda Studios, who have produced music for Justin Bieber, saw in the track when they decided to collaborate with Zachary Ray.
Apart from the vocals, the beautifully penned lyrics are the major reason why Cloud 9 succeeds in imparting the emotions of hope, joy and appreciation towards the spirit of life. In Zachary Ray’s words,” The song speaks about the feeling of not feeling enough, living through the hardest of days but being able to hold onto joy through those days and not just survive but thrive with the help of family and friends. One of our favorite lines in the songs is, ‘So I’ll hold up my head, no matter where I have been. So hold onto joy, it’s the best medicine’.”
Listen to ‘Cloud 9’ by Zachary Ray ft. Shreya Bhattacharya & Bernard Dafney on Spotify:
The song talks about self-belief and its importance when the time seems testing. The lyrics ask us to face tough times while holding on to the hope that the future is bright. Till then, we can keep “dancing in the daylight” and “swimming in the sunshine” as nothing can hold us down. Even the song video, which strays away from anything very complicated, features the three singers jamming together, sitting on a couch, and having a great time. Thus, it delivers its message. Sing, dance, embrace joy and swim towards the shore with the support of your loved ones.
So, what are you waiting for? Catch the incredible track on Youtube and all the major streaming platforms, shower your love, and enjoy your walk through Cloud 9!
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