The best singers transcend borders and nationality. Adolescent vocal sensation Tanya Mezh is an ideal example. The Russian-born singer has already built an enthusiastic and growing fanbase in her homeland. This substantial following has garnered her leading parts in three major Russian film productions illustrating her broad audience appeal. Soon to be turning fourteen years old, Mezh has aligned herself with decorated pop producer PJ Bianco, and her latest single “Lying Looks Bad on You” has the necessary allure to find a worldwide audience.
The primary attraction is Mezh’s voice. Her vocal range is such that she’s equally capable of evocative lower-end vocals and thrilling higher-end pyrotechnics. It isn’t shallow. The full gamut of her voice is rife with near-palpable emotion. The ultimate barometer measuring the worth of singers should be simple – do they make you feel? By this standard, Mezh is wildly successful.
She makes it sound effortless. It is impossible to say after hearing this song if she pulls from personal experience or if the lyrics are an imaginative leap. They are equally impressive either way. “Lying Looks Bad on You” hinges on words that are never throwaway lyrics, present to give her something to sing and nothing more, and hit with forceful language that makes you sit up and take notice.
The music does the same. Presenting her voice as a multi-pronged vocal force rather than with a stark single vocal track is a shrewd move. It layers the song with assorted emotions that one voice could never accomplish. The behind-the-mixing board machinations produce “Lying Looks Bad on You” in such a way that it accentuates her vocal phrasing rather than sounding like an afterthought. This is a master-class example of how to frame the modern pop song.
Triumphs like this will make her entry into the global, particularly the American, music market an easier sell. Tanya Mezh checks every box. She draws from the deep well of stylish modern pop without directly imitating any particular performer. It invests every particle of her being into making “Lying Looks Bad on You” a memorable musical moment.
The focus that she brings to the single helps this along. The song never breaks the three-minute mark. However, it never sounds rushed or like she’s glossing over the opportunity. “Lying Looks Bad on You” is a fully realized effort. Considering how developed she is at this early stage of her career and life, it’s startling to realize how far she can go. There’s no sense of Mezh peaking early. As good as this is, it’s clear she’s scratching the surface of her capabilities.
Let’s stick with her every step of the way. Pop singers are, in all honesty, often a dime-a-dozen. Shooting star careers litter the history of modern music, flashes in the pan who sold a lot once or twice, and then vanished into obscurity. Tanya Mezh doesn’t come across as one of those figures. Instead, she is creating indelible work at a breathtakingly early age and shows no signs of slowing down.
Cleopatra Patel