One of the year’s standout releases, Private Blizzard, the debut album by Dhruv, is a captivating examination of emotional depth and personal development that combines reflective lyrics with a blend of traditional and modern sounds.
Five years after his viral hit double take, artist Dhruv released his debut album, Private Blizzard. This 12-song album produced by JT Daly takes listeners through a journey of emotional turmoil, loneliness and grief. Private Blizzard is an honest reflection of the entire range of emotions he experienced during the recording process. Dhruv concentrated on expanding his vocal range to offer himself a wider canvas to convey his shifting emotions, letting intuition lead him more than in the past. He and Daly collaborated to create a sound that blends traditional live components with a contemporary vibe, making this a versatile album.
Private Blizzard begins with an upbeat piano, but the lyrics turn away from this upbeat feeling. “Ode to Boredom” discusses the monotony of life, the chorus conveying this feeling: “All of my days play out this way/All of my songs are sounding the same/And the flowers I gave him went stale/If someone asks, “It’s all going well.” Dhruv also discusses looking for something or someone to take this monotony away “New love’s what I’m looking for/Someone who can soundtrack the silence/Keep-an-eye-out for a muse on thе train/He’ll paint my life a new shadе/Give me back my teenage excitement.”
In his songs, Dhruv conveys a feeling of loneliness and being lost. “California Winter” discusses being in a different environment and feeling lost – discussing a feeling of missing something but not knowing what to do. As the name suggests, “Lonely City Waltz” discusses feeling lonely and watching life pass by you. The lyrics perfectly encapsulate this feeling: “Lonely city waltz, table just for one/I watch the world go by from my corner/Lonely city waltz, ghost to everyone/Got nowhere else to be/So I wander, wander.” “Illusions” perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being lost while growing up. It’s a perfectly heartbreaking song with beautiful lyrics. In the verse, Dhruv discussed this feeling: “I don’t even know what I want anymore/I’m living the dream, visions I had on the school bus home/Appear in front of me thought that I’d feel different/While my ego’s lifted/My soul’s been buried underneath my feet/And home feels so damn far, I forget who I am/When I’m gone this long forget what I loved so long ago, so long ago.”
Love is a prevalent topic in Private Blizzard. “How?” describes a feeling of wanting to make a relationship work, asking the question “How do I make you love me?” Dhruv questions what to do and how to bring back the relationship to what it was before. “Speed of Light” has a catchy rhythm, discussing someone moving on quickly. Dhruv accompanies the upbeat background with amazing lyrics saying “Oh, you could have waited for my tears to dry/And you could have spared a thought and looked behind/Moving at the speed of light.” “Daggers” portrays betrayal in love. Dhruv’s vocals truly shine in this song; his pain and agony are felt through his vocals. His lyrics beautifully accompany his vocals; “Bet you don’t regret/How you walked over me like a mat/When I told you welcome/Daggers you buried in my back/Yeah, I still feel them now/They all say “Forgive don’t forget”/But I can’t do either/It’s the daggers you buried in my back/Yeah, I’m still bleeding out.”
Of all the songs in the album, “Grieving” is arguably the most personal and heartbreaking. The song discusses the process of moving on after losing someone. Dhruv portrays this grief through his lyrics and the beautiful piano. The music is simple, but the lyrics are complex and deep, reflecting the feelings grief brings. With lyrics like “I haven’t talked about you/In a few weeks and/Someone says your name, I/Remember how to breathe in/The wound is fairly swollen/But I’ve finally stopped the bleeding,” Dhruv perfectly conveys how grieving feels.
As expected Dhruv’s lyrics don’t disappoint. “This Morning” portrays the feeling of wanting a person close so beautifully. Dhruv uses his lyrics to convey this: “Can you hold me ’til the early light?/If the sun is up, I’ll be alright/Just hold me the morning comes/Please, hold me the morning comes/Can you talk until ’til my mind goes quiet?/I’m scared of where it’s gone tonight/Just hold me the morning comes.”
Private Blizzard stays true to Dhruv’s style but takes a more grown and mature approach. Private Blizzard keeps the same calm and almost lofi feeling that Dhruv’s music had but adds a little more piano and guitar to it. One thing that truly stands out is Dhruv’s vocals. Through this album, his vocal ability shone through so much. His vocals complemented the feelings shining through his lyrics, making this album feel very personal.
Private Blizzard is arguably one of the best releases of this year, conveying the beauty of love, loneliness and grief through growth. Dhruv takes listeners into his world with his incredible lyricism and vocals. This debut album is perfect – an amazing listen for any emotion being felt.
I write for my school's newspaper, the Panther Prints, and serve as the Creative Director. I am a life-long music fan and I love listening to all types of music: from Bollywood to 70's rock to 2010's pop. Some of my favorite artists include: Arijit Singh, Queen, Troye Sivan, and Jorja Smith. In addition, I learn Hindustani music and piano. Outside of music and writing, I love watching movies, listening to music, and reading. In college, I hope to pursue a minor in journalism and keep up with my love for writing!
