Today I am breaking my review writing silence for the newest song by Dominic Romano, because it’s one of the most beautiful and vulnerable songs I have ever heard. “Who I Am” captures the moment of uncertainty of how the loss of someone close to us will affect us. It lives in that bittersweet space between grief and gratitude while facing one of the biggest questions out there “Who am I?”. 

The song was written and recorded in the time before Dominic’s mom’s passing, before she lost her battle to cancer. The California based artist brought the song to life by himself in his home studio, and it was an intensely cathartic process. Dominic said: “I cried more with this song than all my others combined. When I lost her, I had no idea what would happen to me. This is the most honest song I've ever written”. 

Dominic is not just an artist, he’s also an incredible producer and even with a song this raw the craftsmanship behind the arrangement is absolutely stellar. A folky acoustic guitar introduces the song and falls into the background as the drum beat kicks in alongside the main vocal. From there the song builds tastefully carrying a certain lightness in the arrangement that compliments the memories described in the lyrics “When I was ten you told me to talk to the trees”. 

The song takes us on a journey through the chapters of his life and the wisdom and how his connection to his mom has shaped him. We get to travel through the doubts of what will come once she’s gone, different voices questioning everything “who am I to stand up to fate anyway?”. At the end of the song we find the beautiful conclusion that despite losing her, he still carries the lessons and love from her within him “I am now who you made me, standing up to fate anyway”.

I don’t know any other artist that manages to strike the balance between the vulnerable and the polished, the heart and the head, quite as well as Dominic Romano. His music has depth like a good painting that you want to look at for hours from different directions to discover new details and find yourself in the reflection of the paint. “Who I Am” is a stunning celebration of love and what it means to be humans, to be connected - written and produced in a way that only Dominic Romano can. It’s a song to feel seen and be seen, and I think it will be a good friend to many people. 

Written by Luna Keller.

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