An anthem for the pandemic, Dejhare’s “Do What You Gotta Do” offers hope and crafts a sense of togetherness. The synthpop perfection stuns for they clearly crafted every single sound with the utmost of care. With hooks aplenty the song draws heavily from 80s dance-pop hits while retaining its own unique sense of identity. By far though the true show-stealer comes from the clever lyricism the kind that cascades in fantastically thoughtful verses ones keenly balanced for maximum impact. Lyrics further emphasize the need to continue to be good, to do everything in one’s power to make sure that the world is able to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and while it may feel lonely to do, it is only defeated by collective action.
Her sound has a flawless, 80s-like neon hue to it. Right from the very beginning of the piece with those angular synthesizer stabs, she incorporates some of Yaz’s best moments with a sound that positively pops. Beyond this, another important element in the mix comes from Men Without Hats for, like their output, she too emphasizes a playful disposition with the careful tempo that allows everything to gradually unfurl. The beat two has a mixture of disco meets new wave while settling into neither. Within this approach, she is not alone amongst her contemporaries, with people like Roisin Murphy also updating the classic, soothing sound.
The joy begins immediately, as she juxtaposes a crying individual alongside the giddy elastic groove. Right from this moment the message becomes clear – while it can be difficult to be self-isolating, a worse scenario is very much possible. It is only through selflessness that a pandemic can be overcome. At this point in the pandemic the fatigue of isolating oneself means people are feeling worn thin with elements of their being longing for a return to normalcy. However, any return to that requires that everyone do their part to ensure that this obstacle is fully and completely overcome. In order to do that one must remain fully together with all the others who have made the decision to remain indoors, to quarantine for getting the virus is far worse than any suffering that may come from social distancing. She offers positivity and hope, reminding everyone that together we can get through this and land on the other side, the normal side again. This is not forever but merely a moment in time.
Dejhare’s vocals are sung with such fire and passion on “Do What You Gotta Do” for they truly speak to the zeitgeist helping to deliver the all-important message of doing everything to stay safe to help others stay safe, for we are all in this together.
