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Botswana-born singer-songwriter Deena G has joined forces with South African DJ and producer Sun-El Musician on Stay, the first single from her debut EP, Transcend.
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The track combines Deena G’s emotive vocals, piano and orchestral strings with Sun-El Musician’s melodic electronic production. Exploring love, connection and the desire to hold on to precious moments, the song captures the emotions of wanting more time with someone when time together is limited.
The chorus asks: “Why don’t you stay a little longer here tonight?” setting the tone for a deeply personal song about the fleeting nature of meaningful relationships.
Deena G shares the inspiration behind Stay
Deena G explained that the song was inspired by a moment when she wished she could pause time and hold on to an experience with someone she knew she would not have forever.
“Stay is a song that speaks to those rare, beautiful moments in our lives that we know won’t last forever. Our time with our loved ones is limited, and I wrote this song at a time when I wished to pause the clock and hold on to a moment with someone I knew my time was limited with,” she said.
The collaboration with Sun-El Musician began after they met at a show he performed in Botswana. At the time, Deena G was working with producer Mpho.Wav, who was also working closely with Sun-El Musician.
The pair stayed in touch, exchanging ideas before eventually meeting for a studio session in Johannesburg about a year later. Although Sun-El Musician was recording his album, the session led to the creation of Stay.
Deena G, who describes herself as a fan of his music, said the experience gave her an opportunity to learn from the established producer.
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Transcend explores love and new beginnings
Stay introduces Transcend, a debut EP shaped by experiences of love, attachment, difficult endings and moving forward.
The project features collaborations with Sun-El Musician, Frigid Armadillo, BlaQRhythm and Ed-Ward, bringing Deena G’s personal songwriting together with South African electronic sounds.
The Botswana-born singer-songwriter, who has Persian roots, has also worked with producers including Caiiro, Lemon & Herb, Jnr SA and Mpho.Wav.
New music on the horizon
Deena G thanked her South African fans for supporting her journey since she entered the music industry three years ago.
She said the support has helped her grow as an artist and highlighted Afrohouse’s ability to connect people across cultures and borders.
Looking ahead, the singer is preparing new music and collaborations for the festive season. She is also working with producers from different European countries and hopes to explore new sounds while retaining her Persian heritage and connection to South African Afrohouse.
Deena G added that she hopes to release another body of work, potentially an album, next year.
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