ZAHRIK’s Party in My Bedroom is Celebratory Perfection

ZAHRIK HEAD SHOT 1 - Photo Credits Marwan Ramen copy
ZAHRIK – Photo Credit Marwan Ramen

There was a reassuring joke that was passed around the community of professional musicians during the pandemic that essentially stated, “All of this struggle and tension is going to result in some amazing music!” To that end, NYC based artist ZAHRIK (Zarek Deosaran) was moved to create the song “Party in My Bedroom” that became an anthem for those unable to gather communally. A call-to-arms to embrace your inner party spirit, “Party in My Bedroom” gained a loyal audience among young audiences, particularly those of college age. An eclectic set of influences combined for this track that is most typically labeled under the “pop music” moniker. Like so many of his contemporaries, ZAHRIK rebukes labeling but the influences of R&B and Hip Hop are obvious in his music. Channeling his frustration into the creation of this hit song, ZAHRIK communicates, “I was inspired to write this song while quarantined. I was desperately craving human interaction and wanted a way to get away from myself. I found writing this song about my desire to run away from my intrusive thoughts, most often with distractions like music, was something that came naturally to me.  To sit at the keyboard and melt into the keys or listen to a song and forget you exist is the kind of joyous escapism that music has provided to me.”

“Party in My Bedroom” exhibits the exuberant energy that so often is the catalyst for unconfined outbursts. Moments of whirling keyboard lines and hypnotic vocal melodies are juxtaposed against driving backbeats and anthemic hooks. ZAHRIK provides insight into the mood he wanted for the song stating, “For Party In My Bedroom I wanted it to have the chaos of a party with different guests arriving throughout the song and different unexpected sections while also feeling like it was continuously building. I thought the most fun way of doing this was through collaboration.” These collaborators include: Cy Leo (whose own music has over a million streams on Spotify) who provides the harmonica solo on the last chorus, singers Chitra and XTINA GG who recorded the harmonies present in the choruses of the song, as well as Susan Cavalcanti and Schune Fu (of the Free Beer sketch comedy group) who perform the spoken skit section in the breakdown of “Party in My Bedroom.” Grammy U award winning artist Kai Tsao mixed and mastered “Party in My Bedroom.” Having worked with Kai before on his own music, ZAHRIK knew precisely what he would bring to this song. ZAHRIK describes, “Kai’s music is very dynamic and maximalist so I thought he would do a great job on creating that huge feeling I wanted for the mix of the song. There’s a lot of different melodic lines and instrument parts in Party In My Bedroom and I really enjoyed how he brought out the different counter melodies. I also wanted a certain amount of crunch and distortion for the Chorus. I wanted it to feel like the party was so loud that the neighbours would come over and tell us to quiet down and Kai achieved exactly what I was looking for.”

An artist who is quick to give credit where it’s due, ZAHRIK lauds praise on those who helped him create “Party in My Bedroom” as well as those who inspired him. One pronounced (literally) accolade is bestowed on Lauryn Hill as ZAHRIK professes, “Ms. Lauryn Hill is a huge inspiration for me. I love the vulnerability of her music and the sincerity of her songwriting. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to her MTV Unplugged album. Her song ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ was on my playlist at the time I was writing the song so lyrically it’s very literal when I say in the verse ‘I grab my speaker and I jack it in, put the playlist on Lauryn HIll (That Thing).’ I find vignettes in songs draw me in so I try to make sure to include them in my songwriting styles.”

  While this song may have revealed itself to Zahrik during the pandemic, its theme is not confined to this point in time. Real art is malleable to the individual and can be applied to personal experiences. “Party in My Bedroom” is for those who want to be in a group setting but cannot, maybe because of social anxiety or physical distance or even a global lockdown. Whatever the case may be, there’s a soundtrack for that moment and it is “Party in My Bedroom.”

Writer: Coleman Haan