Daniel Arana’s first ever single, “Fun Times,” will formally be released on Spotify, iTunes and Google Play on Dec. 13.
LOS ANGELES –With the highly anticipated release of his first ever single titled “Fun Times,” Daniel Arana is on a mission to end 2019 on a high note while looking forward to what the New Year brings.
“I’m extremely excited to release this single! It’s a dream come true,” Arana explained. “Whenever I think about it, I can’t help but smile. There’s this excitement blossoming from my heart.”
Packed with raw, genuine emotion, the singer pours his heart and soul into this emotional ballad which reminisces over past memories of a relationship. While all good things tend to come to an end, the singer immortalizes those good times in song.
“Although the song focused on a romantic relationship, the song can also apply to any kind of close friendship. I remember while recording my song one evening that I started to cry because it resonated with how I was feeling about my Aunt Catalina. She was my everything, my second mom, and my home here in LA. She passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2018,” Arana explained.
In 2019, Arana suffered yet another loss with the passing of his dear Aunt Sylvia who died of cancer. At the end of the day, Arana explains that his song is ultimately about recovering from a loss and choosing to always remember the good times. When music lovers hear the single for the first time, the singer hopes they feel comforted, uplifted and inspired to choose to be happy even when darkness surrounds them.
“In a world where there’s so much pain and darkness, and in a time where we’re constantly bombarded with heavy news, I wanted to create something light-hearted and comforting. It’s about embracing joy, even if in a state of pain,” Arana said. I hope people realize they’re more powerful than they think. I’m a big believer in mental health and holistic health. We can choose joy and hope even while suffering.”
For Arana, the making of his debut single has been therapeutic. A jack of all trades, he not only wrote the song, but he also produced it with the help of Eric Formhals, another talented musician based in West Hollywood.
“He’s an extremely talented sound mixer, musician and pop artist,” said Arana. “I felt so honored to be working with him. He’s so humble and easy to work with. We had good chemistry as songwriters. He took a risk working with me because he had never done folk pop before.”
With a sound often described as earthy and contemporary, the folk/pop singer has had many musical influences over the years, including Birdtalker, The Lumineers, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Shakira and Vance Joy.
“I admire all of these artists for their strong identities, stylistic approach, and powerful lyrics,” he said. “My all-time favorite artist is Shakira because I’ve listened to her ever since I was a little boy and her music’s always been so authentic. Her persona always shines so powerfully and her heart’s like this bright jewel. Taylor’s iconic in her ability to write songs that are authentic, true, and catchy.”
For Arana, music has had a powerful presence in his life for as long as he can remember. His earliest memory is of him bouncing up and down to jazz music at an outdoor concert on the steps of Miami’s Bayside Marketplace. His love for music only grew.
“I remember falling in love with Toni Braxton’s ‘Unbreak My Heart’ and obsessing over this song. I mean obsessed! Then, I’d write songs here and there, but I never had the courage to actually record it professionally. Until now,” he said.
Now he’s working toward the same musical success as some of his favorite musicians—one song at a time. According to Arana, “Fun Times” will be the first single on an upcoming album that he hopes will ultimately have a lasting impression to all who listen.
“My goal is to create music that’s enjoyable but also like nothing you’ve heard before,” he said.
To learn more about Arana, visit www.danielaranamusic.com.
DANIEL ARANA: Born in Miami and raised by a Chinese-Mexican family, his multicultural sensibilities inspire a certain global taste in music. To Daniel, music is eternal, universal, and impactful. Inspired by his love for healing through music, Daniel Arana writes his own songs to share the spark of love in all its spectrum.