Dan Aura brings to bear "Where It Hurts"

Few artists at 23 years old are able to flaunt such a rich, saturated sense of progression in their music; even fewer are able to do so whilst also demonstrating that same sense of evolution in their artistry as a whole. From his much lauded debut EP back in 2021, Plastic, to his renewed efforts in 2024, Dan Aura has maintained the blend of melancholy and euphoria that has become integral to his sonic craftsmanship, whilst updating the packaging of the music itself to match the grandeur of his pop-laden and hook-heavy sound.

The third of a string of singles over the last few months, as well as the titular track to his sophomore EP set for release on May 17th, "Where It Hurts" shows him at his very best. “This was probably one of the most cathartic songs I’ve written as it almost word for word describes a situation I encountered at the beginning of last year," Aura explains of the track. "For me, it’s my “screaming song” and I think it’ll help a lot of people that have ever felt strung along by someone.”

The moments of release, or "screaming song" additives, that are woven into the track's chorus are made all the more satisfying by the tampered back production in its verses. "Where It Hurts" opens with diaristic streams of consciousness over an acoustic guitar line, "pick my will up off the floor / dreamt about you through the night," before erupting into these explosive choruses where Aura is pleading with his lover to "say what's on your mind" and "hit me where it hurts."

As well as his clear ease and comforting assurance with being an "online" persona, Aura has amassed a following for the refreshingly brutal candour of his lyricism. Ascribing this to various topics from what it means to be LGBTQ+ in today's society, the healthy and unhealthy shades of relationships, and ruminating on conventional masculinities, he's become an aspirational mouthpiece for queer adolescence.

Dan Aura's artistry is pop personified, from its production to its packaging, masterfully crafted in such a way to simultaneously feel expensive yet approachable. "Where It Hurts" glints with the very same punchy grandeur, showcasing Aura's elevated, and firmly stamped, sound.