After leaving her hometown in Romania to pursue her lifelong goal of making it big in the music industry, rising pop talent Sorana is now living the dream. Having already penned chart-topping multi-platinum hits for the likes of The Chainsmokers, David Guetta and Charli XCX, Sorana is stepping into the spotlight with a string of solo singles.
Today, Sorana returns with her latest single "Happy Birthday Sadness." Building off the dance-pop sound she's perfected alongside producers like David Guetta and Alan Walker, "Happy Birthday Sadness" serves up a glowing house beat with a bouncy bassline and cheery guitars, all topped off with a catchy vocal hook. Offering a new spin on the "crying on the dancefloor" trope, Sorana finds melancholy in what would otherwise be a traditionally happy occasion, fending off feelings of loneliness and yearning as she blows out her birthday candles.
"Birthday songs are always happy, but I’ve always felt kinda melancholic on my birthday especially at my party when my friends bring out the cake and say ‘make a wish’ because in that moment I think of everything that is missing," Sorana explains. "I moved from country to country so many times that no matter what, I always end up missing someone on my birthday. Songwriting is my therapy and with my birthday coming up, I wanted to write a dramatic birthday song to express a feeling I’m sure a lot of people have felt."
She continues, "It’s not always popping champagne, eating cake and laughing with your friends. Sometimes you’re alone or surrounded by the wrong people, away from your family, or lover or maybe you just want to cry at midnight. ‘Happy Birthday Sadness’ is a song for anyone who has ever felt the loneliest on what’s supposed to be our happiest day."
Check out the PAPER premiere of Sorana's "Happy Birthday Sadness," below.
Photography: Brian Ziff