New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Young singing talent Dianña takes a turn into uncharted territory with her new single "Missing You Underneath the Mistletoe". Her talent for Christmas music, however, is plain from the very beginning. She commits herself fully to this lyric about missing someone during the Xmas season without any parody, irony, or cliché. Incorporating traditional imagery such as the mistletoe into the song's lyric is an important hook for the general listener to identify with the songwriting.
She has already experienced significant success prior work. Her most recent single "
Hands" landed high on Adult Contemporary Charts and it's a safe bet that this track will do the same. It has all the makings. The piano balladry and comfortable tempo are an excellent match and producer/mixer Mark Needham never rushes the performance. He likewise positions each instrument, including the vocals, in an optimum place for getting the best results.
The video delivers top notch results.
Director Fon Davis' Fonco Studios films a video reminiscent of many classic Christmas clips without ever allowing things to slide into hammy nonsense. Dianña is resplendent in this setting and embodies the song's emotional tone without ever making herself "the star" - instead, she is serving the song, first and foremost. All other considerations are secondary.
The clip also sparkles with a wealth of color and great shots coming at the right points. It helps push the relatively languid number a little harder without ever pulling attention away from the material. The interplay between the video's imagery and the music is all-important to the package's success and you can tell Davis' steady hand was the deciding factor.
The lyrical piano playing has importance as well. The superb touch and sense of melody unwinding the piano lines for listeners are guided by a steady hand as well. Some listeners may prefer something with a little harder edge with their Christmas music, let's say "
Jingle Bell Rock", but many listeners will be hard pressed to turn away from the beauty of "Missing You Underneath the Mistletoe".
It has a good length as well. The songwriters and performers keep the song condensed to a manageable length rather than overextending its welcome. It is a virtual requirement for music such as this. The principles involved in the writing and recording of "Missing You Underneath the Mistletoe" understand what Christmas singers want - especially - during this time of the year and serve it up in a manner that's difficult to forget.
It's certainly difficult to forget Dianña and you shouldn't. This is a performer who isn't of the fly by night variety and it's exciting to imagine where she will take her talents from here. Her slim discography already sets up that she has the talent to tackle any song. Let us hope she is presented with the material she deserves decades ahead. There's every indication that is the case based on this stirring song. Dianña's "Missing You Underneath the Mistletoe" is great Christmas music and much more. Listen to it with an open heart and ears.
