Brazilian singer-songwriter Joana Lins, who goes by ONÁRA as her artist name, teamed up with Brazilian Indie-rock band Illusion Cat for her debut single, “Le Pendu.” The song title “Le Pendu” means “hanged man” in French.
ONÁRA’s music Journey began at a young age. In school, she played flute and violin. When she was nine, ONÁRA picked up the guitar, started self-teaching, then, years later, took formal lessons. ONÁRA enjoys listening to a variety of genres, including Brazilian Music, folk, and pop, with influences such as Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Alessia Cara. It was Cara’s music that sparked my friendship with ONÁRA back in 2019. When we met on X, we discussed our favourite Cara albums.
Over the years, ONÁRA and I kept in touch, constantly talking about how rewarding the song writing process is. When ONÁRA sent me “Le Pendu”, I was thrilled to interview her about it.
When I first heard the song, I was captivated by the dreamy, delicate, and rich production. My favourite part is the guitar solo before the last chorus, as it adds a unique dynamic and texture, enhancing the uplifting mood.
“Le Pendu” is a collaboration with the band Illusion Cat, who are known for their album The Sinner and The Paradise Garden. “Le Pendu” is written by ONÁRA and produced by ONÁRA and her friend Carlos Eduardo Areias, Illusion Cat’s lead singer and composer. Areias also played some of the instruments, including percussion, flute, and guitar parts, and sang backup vocals. While ONÁRA performed lead vocals and played acoustic guitar, as well as another flute line.
ONÁRA shared that “Le Pendu” was inspired by a tarot card with two contrasting messages: sacrifice parts of yourself to gain a new vision of life, as well as the risks of isolation.
ONÁRA reflects, “The song is these two contrasts of the card, which is about introspection but also criticizing the hanged man for being detached from reality.”
This theme of introspection is conveyed in this line, which, according to ONÁRA, is a metaphorical conversation with the hanged man about not losing touch with reality.
“Hanged man, you’ve always liked tarot reading, but will you wait up there when stars tell you to go?”
I rated “Le Pendu” 10/10 as I loved the unique instrumentation and the overall message of not being too introspective. To keep up with ONÁRA’s music journey, check out her Instagram.
