Rising Arp: Find Solace In Naomi G, The Alt-R&B Singer Battling The Woes Of Delirium

Naomi G soothes the troubled mind with her comeback (Credit: Jayden Tan)

The ground beneath crumbles as sanity falls apart. The cracks turn into craggy jaws. The mania sets in as control slips through the fingers. A loved one turned into a fiend. How do you rescue someone who’s slipping into a dissociative episode? With courage and a delicate hand, Naomi G provides solace.

Such is the context for the local singer-songwriter’s new composition and title track of her upcoming album, Delirium. After keeping a low profile for nearly two years, Naomi G returns with an honest anecdote that cuts deep, slicing into the oft-stigmatised department of mental health. Her voice is more than an instrument but a comforting tether, like a lighthouse guiding lost souls out at sea. Through careful words of consolation – “let me speak for your reality” – she helps a partner snap out of a delirious episode and stay protected from the mind’s pandemonium. You can sense her sincerity and vulnerability in sharing something so intimate, yet she does so to set a shining example, to let other tormented couples know they are not alone.

*“Babe I know, it only gets louder / The voices from the six feet under”* (Credit: Jayden Tan)

“Delirium” is a smouldering alt-R&B jam that transfixes with its temperament, and it soothes the thorny subject matter with the elements that make it up. Lithe guitars caress with muted strums and twangs, while subdued street beats provide an anchor with trickling hats and snappy snares. But it is once again Naomi G’s vocals that gives the piece extra padding. Like a svelte tapestry sewn from layers of voices, her harmonies are a melty blend, creating organic and chordal textures that give the song a cherubic, almost sacrosanct quality. The overall effect is one of relief, matching the healing quality of her lyricism.

This re-emergence follows the songstress’ past works, “Prey” and “Cage the Animal”, released in 2021 and 2020 respectively. Like “Delirium”, these releases boldly touched on raw topics such as the toxicity of the male gaze and the cycles of emotional abuse, exhibiting Naomi G’s refusal to back down from the hard talks. She reveals that the rest of her upcoming album – slated for gradual release in 2023 – will also keep its gloves on as it jabs at other tenets of mental health, stemming from her own and the connections around her. So keep watching her. And keep your mind on Naomi G.