Rising Artist Deney Adam Talks Empowering New Single ‘Headdown’

By day, Deney Adam is known as a celebrity makeup artist who has worked on some of pop culture’s most iconic faces including Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, and Susanne Bartsch. By night, he is a standout singer-songwriter in the New York scene, pouring his experiences with grief, trauma, and toxic relationships into his tracks.

On November 11, Adam released a new single titled “Headdown,” which now acts as the official lead from his forthcoming debut EP Red Light.

“’Headdown’ is a soulful, and quite sensual, R&B record about trying to find yourself again in the midst of chaos and grief,” he says in a statement. “It’s a hopeful song that I needed so badly while going through my own spiral. ‘Headdown’ is a reminder to look up to the sky and keep moving toward that north star, whatever that may be for you, even when all you want to do is keep your head down.”

The music video, directed by legendary photographer and creative director Mike Ruiz, sees Adam liberating himself from the drama of past relationships through the art of striptease and soaring up into the clouds.

Red Light, which Adam began to meticulously craft in 2020, is expected for release in February 2023. He took some time to talk more about his music and artistry with OFM.

Can you begin by telling us more about the concept and inspiration behind your new single “Headdown?”

When Nisha and I sat down, she’s one of the songwriters, I was going through this tough phase in my life. During the pandemic, I was at a very dark point, and I was even contemplating doing harmful things to myself. So, this song is about how my head is down, but I was able to tackle these demons and come out on the other side. I know the video is conceptually sexualized, but Frank, the guy sitting in the video, he represents my demons. That’s why I get on top of him, and then at the end of the video, I’m falling. I’m out of these dark times and coming out of that depression.

The music video was directed by legendary photographer and creative director Mike Ruiz. What was it like collaborating with him?

Mike is crazy, but in the best possible way. This is my second music video with Mike, and he’s super fast. That’s what I love about him. He knows what he wants. I hate working with directors and photographers who take forever because I have very little patience. I know that sounds horrible, but it’s true (laughs). But I love working with Mike. We also do a lot of editorial photoshoots as well, makeup-wise. That’s how I met him a long time ago.

You already established yourself as a celebrity makeup artist. Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting as well, or is this a relatively new career venture?

No, I wanted to sing ever since I was a kid. Makeup happened by accident, and I fell in love with it. After I dropped out of college, I went to FIT for fashion illustration; my parents were like, “You need to find yourself a job now.” When I was 17, I got a very small record deal with a small record label, but when that fell through, I was like, maybe this isn’t for me.

So, I had to find a job to support myself, and I started to get more into makeup. However, I still wanted to pursue music because it’s something I always wanted to do. When I was 26, I was like, shit, I’m not getting any younger. I need to go full-force with this, which I did.

Does your job as a makeup artist ever influence your music?

Of course. I think it all intertwines, and it makes me see things differently. It’s a great opportunity to do all these shoots, work with other celebrities, and kind of see how they maneuver this world. I think that’s a great advantage for me. I can be like, oh, this is how you do this. I’m like a sponge, you know? When I work with these celebrities, I never want to crossover and be like, I do music as well. I’ve never done that because I’m there to serve, but I’m observing at the same time. To me, that’s a blessing. I see the world in a different way, as opposed to somebody who hasn’t been exposed to that kind of lifestyle.

“Headdown” is the third single off your upcoming debut EP, Red Light. How excited are you to release this project out into the world, and what did you enjoy the most throughout the process?

Oh my God, I’m thrilled! This has been a two-year process. I like to sit on things and revisit them until they’re perfect, but they’re never perfect, so I just have to push them out. Most of the songs were not enjoyable to make because they brought back all these memories, but this was a great way to relieve all this trauma. It felt like therapy in a way, which was great. Afterwards, I was suddenly like, “Oh, I’m over this.” That was interesting. Granted, I didn’t write most of the songs, but they are my ideas, and I put my input into the visuals as well.

Ultimately, what do you hope listeners take away from your music?

If I can help somebody or make someone feel good about themselves, make them be like, “I can relate to this,” I think I did my job. Like I said, I’ve been wanting to do music ever since I can remember, so it’s never been about the fame and glory that comes along with it. It’s always about how music makes me feel, and I want people to feel the same way.

The other week, I was watching Jazmine Sullivan sing the national anthem, and I was sobbing on the sofa. I was like, what the hell is going on? So, I want people to take away a feeling from it. If I can make you happy or take you back to a certain moment in your life, then I did my job.

How would you describe your musical style and aesthetic?

Hm, that’s a really good question. I like to do—I don’t want to say suicidal, like, cut-your-wrists kind of music, but that’s the kind of music that I love. I do realize that type of music is very indie, and I don’t want to be a niche of indie. I kind of want to make popular music, so I’m trying to find a balance of making good music that is pop related, but still have a subject to talk about. I don’t want it to just be fluff. So, I’d say I come off very whiny, but with a pop element.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

Obviously, world domination! (Laughs). Somebody asked me that question the other day, and it’s hard to answer. It’s not like I don’t set goals, but I don’t want to say that I live day by day either because I do have expectations and dreams. Overall, I just want to keep making music and make people happy. There’s not an end goal. I want to be successful, and I want the world to listen, but there’s not an end goal. This is a lifetime process.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Just wait for the EP. It’s going to be a good one. There are two new songs that are going to be in it, and one of them is a cover that I completely deconstructed. It’s an old-school song, but it’s so good. The other song, I’m trying to collaborate with another artist on it, and that’s going to be a dancing/voguing situation.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Adam by following him on Instagram @iamdeneyadam. “Headdown” and all his other music is available on Spotify, YouTube, and all other digital streaming platforms.

Photos courtesy of Deney Adam