The last time Tamara Dey released music was in 2020 when she worked with Mobi Dixon on her single “Lock Me Up” and now, in 2022, she is back with a new tune, “Disco Therapy”.
Dey released “Lock Me Up” in the middle of lockdown, independently. She is signed to record label The David Gresham Record Company and she’s working on crafting a new sound.
“Disco Therapy” is an infectious dance song.
Dey told IOL Entertainment that she wanted to get everyone out of their pandemic slumber and dancing.
“I’ve been wanting to make music that is just uplifting and really musical and timeless. I think the world has been through a lot and I found myself moving more towards music that had all those elements and was healing and uplifting, really tapping into the healing power of music, and that is at the core of ‘Disco Therapy’.”
Dey worked with Gary van Riet and RJ Benjamin on the track. She is now working with the producers on her new musical direction and a song that is expected to follow “Disco Therapy”.
Dey shared how music has always been a form of therapy for her.
“There’s literally a soundtrack to the best and worst moments of my life, every up and down.
“There's a song that was my therapy, was my way to kind of get through something or connect to somebody or not feel alone. You feel like ‘someone out there gets me’. That is the power of music and I really tapped into that energy with this song,” she said.
“Making it was incredibly healing for me and put that energy and intention into it. I hope people will pick up on that vibe and ‘Disco Therapy’ will do what it needs to do.”
In August 2020, the singer found herself in and out of hospital and having to undergo surgery.
She said she was feeling great now.
“I was very lucky, a lot of people who struggled with the same health issues I did, it's often a permanent thing. I had ulcerative colitis which for most people is a permanent diagnosis, luckily mine was sort of an episode.
“I was sick for a very long time, I had to have three major stomach surgeries. I was in and out of the hospital for a period of two years.”
Dey drew strength from support groups for people who have had stomach cancer and similar surgeries to those she had.
“To this day I’m still on the support groups because those people inspire me endlessly. As bad as it might be for you there is always somebody else going through something just as bad or worse. Staying connected to those people really gave me hope.”
The musician has made a full recovery and feels blessed to be back on her feet and on stage.
“I’m overjoyed to be back on stage, to sing to an audience, connect with people and look into their eyes, to feel their energy.
“Thank goodness for the online stuff while we were in lockdown but nothing compares to just looking into someone’s face on a dance floor and you just connected to people.”
Dey is one of the many people who found themselves sucked into the online world, with TikTok becoming her best friend. “I’m loving TikTok, I have so much fun with it!”
“I got on TikTok for the first time during the lockdown and ended up completely falling in love with the platform and obviously had a lot of time on my hands because we were stuck at home.
“I started to gain some great momentum on the app and I was just having so much fun and it was a beautiful escape from what was going on in the world around me.”
The musician has been in the music industry for 20 years and is showing no sign of slowing down.
Dey is working on a second single, a cover of a song by one her favourite artists, Brenda Fassie. She described it as Afropop futurism, a sound which would be reflected on her EP.
The EP would include collaborations with other musicians, she added.
“Disco Therapy” is out on all streaming platforms