Electro-pop singer-songwriter Charles Fauna creates music for the soul. The Brooklyn-based artist captures emotional sentiments and portrays them through a vibrant lens. From his exuberant banger “Wait to Come Over” to his cinematic track “Abandon,” Fauna’s powerful narrative and intoxicating sound is undeniable. On his latest single, “Listen,” Fauna tapped up-and-coming artist Ivy Sole to complete the song. “The track was meant to be as matter of fact as possible with its theme: power of empathy. Around the time I was making the song, I discovered an artist on Spotify named Ivy Sole. She was up-and-coming in the Philadelphia hip hop scene, and often sampled indie rock songs to sing over. For some reason I felt like the bridge on ‘Listen’ was meant for her,” Fauna says of the song. “When I asked Ivy why she agreed she said that it was the message of the song which inspired her to write it. ‘Listen’ means so much to me because its very existence was founded on an act of empathy between two very different artists. I am so grateful to have Ivy on this record.”
The song is a love note to listeners, urging people to be there for one another even if it is as simple as listening. Fauna says of the track, “I wanted to wholeheartedly embrace positivity. Even musically the song is meant to feel enveloping, like a giant hug. Lyrically, ‘Listen’ is the message I had wish I had gotten more in life – that pure, uncomplicated feeling of someone else being truly there for you.” To build on this sentiment, Fauna collected notes from various students describing what they wish people knew about them. The responses range from heartbreaking and tear-jerking to cheeky and playful.
What does Fauna want people to know about him? “Each day is a battle with myself that I more often than not lose. It takes regular, daily work for me to even scrape the surface of okay. Every moment I spend in the company of friends and of music is my effort to be better, less self-concerned, and a better companion to others in this life.” Check out all of the responses below.
“Listen” will be featured on Fauna’s upcoming album Yonder, set to be released this spring. Listen to the track below.
