Singer and songwriter, Giveon Dezmann Evan, simply known as GIVEON, is my favorite artist not only for his vocal talent but for the way he balances complex emotions and reflects life within his work. It’s truly something you’ll never see done so well in others’ work, and he manages to do it even at the dawn of his career.
Giveon’s music fluctuates between themes of love, heartbreak, overthinking, and egoism, making relatable yet intricate melodies that capture real complex emotions in life. His perspective is uniquely expressed with his wording and majestic voice that gives me chills every time. I feel that not many singers sound like Giveon, which makes him stand out from other artists to me. He independently released his debut single “Garden Kisses” in August 2018, which brought him attention, and signed to record label Not So Fast and Epic Records by Sevn Thomas. Songs like “Heartbreak Anniversary” and collaborations with popular artists like Drake and Justin Bieber have also brought him quick recognition.
Giveon has made a great platform for himself in the short span of five years with his top album, Take Time, awarding him a Grammy nomination and the achievements of 29 nominations and two awards: Best New R&B Artist and the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2022. In a way, Giveon’s journey has shown me that if you’re passionate about your true self, you can become successful out of it no matter the start.
Like his common theme, the month of love, February 21, 1995, was when he was born and raised by a single mother in Long Beach, California, with his two brothers. Giveon found his love for music when his mom recognized his potential and made him perform at family birthday parties at a young age which encouraged the career more seriously. His mother influenced the three siblings to keep a distance from bad influences and cliques while supporting what interested them. After much motivation, he credits his mom while featuring recorded phone calls like in “The Beach,” which is my favorite song. The recording displays the difficulties growing up in Long Beach yet the love and care he continues to receive from his mother.
Giveon says and believes that all that he writes is based on real life, so as he experiences life, he allows the music to come to him instead.
