Continuing what he started with “Quicksand,” Morray gets personal on “Dreamland”

Fayetteville’s Morray caught fire last month with “Quicksand” (5.8M views on his first single release), and tonight at midnight, he continues his winning streak with “Dreamland.” While positivity radiates from him through his killer dance moves and infectious smile, the new single taps into Morray’s vulnerable, reflective side. He speaks directly to the streets that raised him and so many others, opening up about childhood trauma like Christmases and Birthdays that he went without gifts, experiencing bouts of hunger, and learning to bottle up emotions. The pinnacle of “Dreamland,” is in the last verse, where Morray shares that he grew up around domestic violence. It’s clear in every word of this painful, beautiful rap ballad that Morray is sharing it both for his own catharsis and the hope that it will bring the same to someone else.

In the track’s accompanying video, directed by Christian Breslauer (Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” Lil Baby’s “Errybody” videos), Morray looks back at his younger self, from his early run-ins with the law to rough times at home. He ultimately takes the place as his mother’s defender as she faces domestic violence, further cementing the difficulty of his situation as a youth and solidifying his dreams to change his situation using his musical ability.

Mark my words, 2021 is going to be Morray’s year. After the Fayetteville, NC, rapper released his debut single “Quicksand,” he earned powerful co-signs from the likes of Jay-Z, who listed “Quicksand” as one of his favorite songs of 2020, fellow North Carolinian J. Cole, superstar DJ Marshmello, rap icon Rick Ross, and more. it’s not hard to see why — Morray comes out the door (literally and figuratively) beaming with charm, alternately rapping and singing in his church-trained tenor about making something shake out of difficult situations. Since “Quicksand,” he’s also shared “Switched Up,” and “Low Key.”